NEW YORK — Brooklyn families are demanding answers from city health officials after a loved one died during childbirth at the city’s Woodhull Hospital. The health department acknowledged that Brooklyn hospitals are facing a maternal health crisis.
Family demands answers after death by emergency C-section at Woodhull Hospital
Jose Perez, 42, lost the love of his life, Christine Fields, after giving birth to his son Anuel at Woodhull Hospital last November.
“They let my family down. They let down a lot of people who loved Christine,” Perez said.
He tearfully told CBS News New York that he suffered complications and had to have an emergency C-section. That was the last time he saw her alive.
“I see over 50 doctors in the hallway, walking up and down the room. They kicked me out. At four in the morning, they just said sorry,” Perez said. he said.
Since then, he has been raising his newborn and daughter alone.
“It really hurts that other families have to go through what I’m going through,” Perez said.
On Friday afternoon, Perez joined another grieving family seeking answers outside the same municipal public hospital where 24-year-old Bevorlin Barrios also died after an emergency caesarean section in September. The medical examiner has not yet released her cause of death.
“She was fine, she was in the middle of something, and she’s not fine?” Nelson Ramirez said.
Maternal health crisis at Woodhull Hospital
The deaths of the two mothers have raised alarm over hospitals’ ability to safely provide obstetric care and deliver babies.
Woodhull Hospital faces an ongoing maternal health crisis, according to the city’s health department. A hospital spokesperson told CBS News New York, “NYC Health + Hospitals is committed to addressing the disparities that have historically and disproportionately impacted the diverse patient populations we proudly serve. “We provide high-quality, culturally sensitive health care services to address racial and racial disparities in health care.”
Black women are nine times more likely to die during pregnancy and childbirth than white women, according to city health data, and grieving fathers say racial disparities also need to change.
A hospital spokesperson also said HIPAA prevents hospitals from talking about specific patient cases.
Jennifer Bisram
