SL Mothers Face Abuse in Hospitals

The 75-page study, ‘No Money, No Care: Obstetric Violence in Sierra Leone’, documents cases of verbal abuse, medical neglect, and abandonment, primarily at the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital (PCMH) in Freetown.

Many women interviewed said they were shamed or mistreated for expressing pain or for lacking money. Some described being ignored for hours or days, resulting in the death of their newborns.

One woman said her baby died after she was abandoned for two hours during labour because she could not pay for basic supplies. Another waited nearly three days for treatment, leading to her baby’s death.

Experts say these practices constitute obstetric violence, a form of gender-based abuse that violates women’s rights to safe, respectful reproductive care. It includes forced medical procedures, verbal abuse, neglect, and denial of pain relief.

HRW said the problem is caused by chronic underfunding of public healthcare, staff shortages, and reliance on unpaid volunteer workers.

Although the Free Health Care Initiative is meant to provide free maternal care, women still pay for basic services due to gaps in the system.

Maternal mortality in Sierra Leone has declined over the past decade, but HRW warned that ongoing obstetric violence threatens further progress.

The organization urged the government to supply essential medical commodities, increase paid staff, and establish complaint and redress mechanisms for patients.

“Without action, Sierra Leone’s progress in reducing maternal deaths is at risk,” said Skye Wheeler, senior women’s rights researcher at HRW.

“The government must listen to women’s experiences and address the deep harm caused by obstetric violence,” she added.

HRW also called on international partners to ensure that debt repayments do not limit the country’s ability to fund maternal and newborn healthcare.