The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed its deep concern about the deaths among Libyan newborns due to the deteriorated health system.
WHO said 73 newborns died in Libya’s south.
“22 newborns died due to complications inside mothers’ wombs, 18 infants died after being choked during delivery, 16 died due to early delivery, 4 others died because of blood poisoning, and the rest died because of birth deformations.” The WHO indicated.
The WHO representative in Libya and Tunisia, Dr. Sayed Jafar Hussein, said the number of newborns’ deaths could have been avoided easily if the Libyan health system had been able to provide proper health services before, during and after delivery.
“Despite the fact that we have sent eight incubators and five oxygen devices to the Intensive Care Unit for the newborns at the Sabha Medical Center, which is the only hospital in the southern region of Libya, there remains a lot of work to be done in there to guarantee the health system would be able to work effectively and avoid any upcoming newborns’ deaths.” WHO mentioned.
The WHO representative added that they urge the Libyan Health Ministry and the international community to help found the needed sponsoring to back up the efforts of the WHO in its bid to limit the happening of such tragic deaths of newborns and to help it provide health services that can save lives of all in Libya.
The Head of the Incubators Section at the Sabha Medical Center, Radiya Al-Jidawi, confirmed that the WHO report is true about the death of 73 newborns in the south, adding that the WHO has so far done its best by giving the center eight incubators and five oxygen devices, yet promising to send 22 other incubators later.
