CEDAW/C/49/D/17/2008 The facts as presented by the author 2.1 Alyne da Silva Pimentel Teixeira, a Brazilian national of African descent, was born on 29 September 1974. She was married and had a daughter, A.S.P., who was born on 2 November 1997. 2.2 On 11 November 2002, Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira went to the Casa de Saúde Nossa Senhora da Glória de Belford Roxo (the health centre) suffering from severe nausea and abdominal pain. She was in her sixth month of pregnancy at the time. The attending obstetrician-gynaecologist prescribed anti-nausea medication, vitamin B12 and a local medication for vaginal infection, scheduled routine blood and urine tests for 13 November 2002 as a precautionary measure and sent Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira home. She began to take the prescribed medications immediately. 2.3 Between 11 and 13 November 2002, Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira’s condition worsened considerably, and on 13 November 2002 she went to the health centre together with her mother in order to see if the obstetrician -gynaecologist could see her before her scheduled blood and urine analysis. The obstetriciangynaecologist examined her and admitted her at 8.25 a.m. to the health centre. 2.4 Another doctor examined Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira in the maternity ward and could not detect a foetal heartbeat. By 11 a.m., an ultras ound had confirmed this. 2.5 The doctors at the health centre informed Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira that she needed to be given medication to induce the delivery of the stillborn foetus and began to induce labour at about 2 p.m. By 7.55 p.m., Ms. da Sil va Pimentel Teixeira had delivered the stillborn, 27-week-old foetus. She became disoriented immediately afterwards. 2.6 On 14 November 2002, some 14 hours after the delivery, Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira underwent curettage surgery to remove parts of t he placenta and afterbirth, after which her condition continued to worsen (severe haemorrhaging, vomiting blood, low blood pressure, prolonged disorientation and overwhelming physical weakness, inability to ingest food). Her mother and husband did not visi t the health centre that day because they relied on assurances given by phone that Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira was well. 2.7 The author submits that on 15 November 2002, Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira became more disoriented, her blood pressure remained low, she continued to vomit, had difficulty breathing and continued haemorrhaging. Staff of the health centre performed an abdominal puncture but found no blood. Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira received oxygen, Cimetidina, Mannitol, Decadron and antibiotic s. The doctors explained to her mother that her symptoms were consistent with those of a woman who had never received prenatal care and that she needed a blood transfusion; at that point she called Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira ’s husband, who then went to the health centre. At 1.30 p.m., staff asked Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira’s mother for the prenatal medical records because they could not locate any at the health centre. 2.8 The doctors at the health centre contacted both public and private hospitals with superior facilities in order to transfer Ms. da Silva Pimentel Teixeira. Only the municipal Hospital Geral de Nova Iguaçu had available space, but it refused to use 11-51699 3