Woman Dies With Unborn Baby After Being Turned Away From Four Hospitals

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An Indonesian woman and her unborn baby died after she was turned away from four hospitals while in labour

According to Indonesian outlet Kompas, the woman, 28-year-old Irene Sokoy from Jayapura Regency, Papua, experienced a medical emergency when she went into labour on Wednesday, 19 November at 3am.

However, after being rejected by four hospitals, she died while on the way to a fifth.

Irene's death has reportedly sparked widespread anger in Indonesia and prompted a firm response from authorities.

Irene's family has given a detailed account of the tragedy

They said Irene was first taken by speedboat to Yowari Hospital in Sentani, where she was informed that they were unable to provide treatment as the baby allegedly weighed 4kg and required surgery.

She was then referred to Abepura Hospital, where she allegedly did not receive care and was referred to Dian Harapan Hospital.

However, she was reportedly still denied treatment and referred to Bhayangkara Hospital, where staff allegedly demanded a payment of 8 million rupiah (RM1,984) before admission.

Unable to pay, Irene was taken to Jayapura Regional General Hospital (RSUD Jayapura), but she and her unborn baby passed away en route.

The governor of Papua, Matius Fakhiri, was reportedly furious over the incident

According to Redaksi Potret, the governor said all hospitals at the provincial, district and city levels are not allowed to refuse patients under any circumstances.

"This is non-negotiable. If anyone continues to refuse, I will definitely dismiss the hospital director," he said.

Matius said his team would conduct a detailed evaluation of all healthcare facilities across Papua, including government hospitals. Other measures such as unannounced inspections would also be carried out.

"Don't ask the patient about their capacity. Accept and serve them first. No more bargaining. I think this is very clear and doesn't need repeating."