Algerian Pregnant Doctor Who Denied Maternity Leaves Dies Of Coronavirus

Incident

A Pregnant Algerian 28-year-old doctor Wafa Boudissa was denied maternity leave three times and died of coronavirus.

Wafa Boudissa, the 28-year-old, was eight months pregnant when she died on Friday night.

Boudissa had requested early motherhood leave three times, but the hospital chief refused to let her have time off.

Petition To Support Her

Boudissa’s co-workers had signed a petition supporting her request to take early maternity leave, after a regulatory order, issued as the coronavirus reached Algeria, declared that pregnant women and mothers were among people approved to take unusual leave from work.

Boudissa’s husband had relocated the family to a flat near the hospital at the start of Ramadan after the director denied his wife’s early maternity leave.

Adding, the hospital director also refused to acknowledge the challenges modeled by transport and movement limitations in the city as a result of the national lockdown.

Treating Coronavirus Patients

Boudissa was working at the Intensive Care of the Ras El Oued hospital in eastern Algeria, but the medical center has refused she was healing coronavirus patients.

According to the officials, all coronavirus patients in the region are being treated at another center in the city.

Health Minister Abderraham Benbouzid fired the hospital Director after the news of Boudissa’s death was published.

State television broadcast footage of the official said he could not understand why a pregnant woman was forced to work during a visit to the deceased’s family and the hospital to offer his condolences.

On Saturday, Benbouzid requested an investigation into the doctor’s death, and in an unusual move, ordered the inspector general of the health ministry to head the Examination.