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Tunisian health minister Cherif resigns over 11 baby deaths

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Tunisian flagTunisia’s public healthcare had a reputation as one of the best in North Africa

TUNIS-(MaraviPost)-Tunisia’s Health Minister Abderraouf Cherif has resigned following the deaths of 11 newborn babies at a hospital in the capital, Tunis.

All of the babies died of septic shock at the Rabta maternity hospital between 7-8 March.

Prime Minister Youssef Chahed said investigations have been launched into the state-run facility’s medical, pharmaceutical and hygiene practices.

According to BBC,  Cherif’s resignation comes just four months after his appointment.

In a Facebook post, the Tunisian paediatrics society said the infection may have been caused by an intravenous feeding product.

The group also called on the authorities to “shed light” on the case and criticised the “precarious conditions in which health professionals work”.

Tunisia’s public healthcare had a reputation as one of the best in North Africa, and medical tourism is a source of considerable revenue for the country.

But since the overthrow of President Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, the system has been hampered by management and financial problems, along with recurrent drug shortages

Lloyd M’bwana

I’m a Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resource (LUANAR)’s Environmental Science graduate (Malawi) and UK’s ICM Journalism and Media studies scholar. Also University of Malawi (UNIMA) Library Science Scholar. I have been The Malawi Country Manager and duty editor for the Maravi Post since 2019. My duty editor’s job is to ensure that the news is covered properly, that it is delivered on time, and that it is created to the standards set out in the editorial guidelines of the Maravi Post.

Comments

One response to “Tunisian health minister Cherif resigns over 11 baby deaths”

  1. Fredc W. Y. MWATHENGERE Avatar
    Fredc W. Y. MWATHENGERE

    This should serve as an example to gluttonous Malawian politicians who refuse to resign even when they discern and claim that the regime they were associating with is corrupt. Sad!!