Cameroon Detains 4 After Dead Woman Is Cut Open With Razor Blade To Deliver Twins

By Yanick Fonki Ndaley, Douala Cameroon

Cameroonian authorities detained four persons at the weekend after a pregnant woman, who was left to die at the government hospital because she could not afford the bill, was cut open by a trader niece with a razor blade to bring out her unborn twins alive.

Those detained included the niece who cut the dead woman open, two surgeons and a mortuary attendant who allegedly advised the niece to perform a desperate surgical operation with the razor blade she had bought at a nearby pharmacy.

SimonAtebaNews learnt that the two surgeons attended to the woman when they arrived the hospital and were being held for further investigation.

The failure to attend to 31-year Koumate Monique because she did not have money triggered a storm of global outrage on Saturday followed by protests at L’aquintinie hospital on Sunday with many calling for a mass sack at the hospital.

Cameroonian authorities, not used to protests in a country where President Paul Biya has been in power for 33 years, quickly teargased the crowd on Sunday in the commercial city of Douala, and dismissed reports that the woman was left to die. Rather, they said she was already dead when she was rushed there from another hospital.

At least one protester was injured while others ran in many directions, eyes witnesses told SimonAtebaNews.

The death of the woman, the surgical operation performed on her by her niece with razor blades, the safe delivery of the twins and their subsequent death, took many Cameroonians through phases of outrage, joy and outrage again.

Monique was rushed on board a taxi to the emergency department of the L’aquatinie Hospital, Douala accompanied by some relatives, one of whom was her niece.

No one was present to assist them, coupled with her lack of funds for deposit before she could be attended to. She died a premature death.

Monique Koumate died leaving a husband and three kids.