The Government of Cape Verde has changed the administration of Dr. Baptista de Sousa (HBS), the second largest in the country, on the island of Sao Vicente, following the death of seven newborns in that unit in recent weeks.
“In order to create conditions for the proper functioning of this hospital and due to the need to issue new guidelines for the management of the service and change the policies they will implement to make them more efficient, it is necessary to proceed with the termination of the powers of the current members of the board of directors of the hospital and successively appoint new members ”, reads a dispatch signed by Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva dated May 26. and consulted this Saturday with Lusa.
This decision implies the termination of the service of Ana Margarida Alem Brito Diaz as director of this central hospital and chairman of the board of directors, Laurinda do Rosario Brito as an executive member and Paulo Jorge de Pina Almeida, member and clinical director.
In the same order, effective May 30, Helena Rebelo Rodriguez is named Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Nair Chantre Silva Santos Lucas, Member and Clinical Director, Vera Lucia López Monteiro, Member and Head Nurse Aristides. Manuel Ramos, executive member and administrator, and Paulo Jorge Semedo Miranda Freire, non-executive member.
Cape Verdean President José María Neves on May 19 asked for an “independent review” of HBS in Mindelo, Sao Vicente, recalling the deaths of seven newborns in recent weeks.
“In the event of an emergency situation and taking into account the systematic complaints of road traffic safety users, I consider it appropriate to conduct an independent audit for a comprehensive organizational assessment and presentation of relevant recommendations,” the head of state said.
“I have been following with concern the news of the deaths of seven newborn babies this May at HBS. I know that the Ministry of Health and the hospital itself are investigating the causes of these deaths and taking appropriate action. measures. And this is necessary to put an end to the concerns of citizens,” he added.
The Cape Verdean Ministry of Health announced on May 16 that it will conduct an investigation into the deaths of five newborns this month at HBS.
He added that the investigation is aimed at establishing facts such as medical care, maternal and newborn care and care, and proper safety and quality practices in patient care.
It also intends to identify the underlying causes of infant deaths, as well as the technical and administrative procedures used in issuing death certificates and in communicating with parents and relatives.
For this investigation, the Ministry of Health also said that it has appointed a team of specialists in gynecology-obstetrics, neonatology and nursing, consisting of specialists from the Hospital Central da Praia and the National Directorate of Health, who are to submit a report. by the end of this month.
In February, the director of neonatal services at Baptista de Souza Hospital (HBS), Katia Costa, confirmed the death of five more newborns in the previous month, specifying that prematurity and congenital malformations were the causes.
According to the 2021 National Statistical Institute (INE) Vital Report, the infant mortality rate, which takes into account the number of deaths of children under the age of one year per 1,000 live births, was 10.5 in 2021, compared to 11.3 in 2020.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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