Strike kills woman in childbirth

Nobody can deny that life in Zambia is harsh, this is a country in which people often don't have enough to eat, leave alone tapping into an infrastructure that is geared around providing the best service possible. In recent months Zambia's medical staff went on strike for better pay and money.

Unfortunately this left one women giving birth on the street just outside of the hospital. Her family were so distressed by this event they sent a photograph of the baby, clearly in the breach position with its legs sticking out of her vagina while both mother and child struggled for life.

The recipient of this photograph a doctor forwarded the photo to the president of Zambia urging that the strike reach an amicable end quickly since it was costing lives. What do you think happened? Was she commended for her humanitarian act. NO CHANCE! This poor woman has been arrested on a charge of distributing pornographic images. Since when did giving birth become pornographic. Neither mother nor baby are experiencing any sexual gratification for the act. The photograph has been described a obscene, completely side stepping the issue that what is obscene is that any woman in this day and age should be forced to give birth in the street.

What sickens me about this event is that it is a 7 day wonder. After the press have done with it this poor Doctor is likely to be jailed for 5 years for committing an illegal act and the rest of us will forget about her. Another clear example of the powers that be using double talk to get themselves out of an embarrassing and tricky situation. I hope that common sense prevails and this woman is given an apology for the appalling treatment she is receiving and a commendation for trying to put an end to this despicable state of affairs.




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