Shocking picture of woman, 28, giving birth on patch of grass outside medical centre provokes fury
8 Oct 2013 13:49
By Anthony Bond
Irma López Aurelio claims she waited more than two hours for treatment before she gave birth to her son
This shocking photo of a screaming mum giving birth on a patch of grass outside a medical clinic has provoked fury after it was published on the front of a newspaper.
Irma López Aurelio, 28, claims she waited more than two hours for treatment at the Oaxaca facility in Mexico.
The centre - which was believed to be short-staffed - asked her to wait outside while staff prepared for delivery.
But just before 8am, the expectant mum dropped to one knee and began to give birth.
The screams of the woman - who was already a mother of two - brought nearby residents out and one local person took this astonishing picture.
It shows the newborn boy seconds after the birth with the tiny baby still attached to the umbilical cord.
The Mexican newspaper La Razón de México printed the picture on its front page and questioned why the woman had to deliver her baby outside the clinic in San Felipe Jalapa de Díaz.
Mexican health officials are now urgently investigating the incident.
Following the delivery last week, Mrs Aurelio and her son were taken inside the health centre and treated by medics, the New York Daily News reported
A spokesman for the health centre said the language barrier contributed to the confusion because she had difficulty understanding Spanish, La Razón reported.
Oaxaca Health Secretary German Tenorio said members of staff told the pregnant woman and her husband to wait outside while staff prepared for delivery.
As reported by GlobalPost.com, he added: “When they went out to look for her they didn't find her. The small clinic does not have an emergency room."
