The Human Rights Watch (HRW) unveils the substandard and ill-treatment on the mothers of the newborn at the maternity care of South Africa, in a report. South Africa provided best health facilities, but the maternity section seems to be neglected and overlooked.

It is due to the negligence of health authorities the maternity death rates have increased four times in the past 10 years. The group provided a governmental record, which marked a rise from 150 to 625 deaths per 100,000 live births between 1998 and 2007. The HRW had also conducted a research in Eastern Cape, from August 2010 to April 2011. The association had records of women from the period of their post labors up to making their own beds and walking with their newborns

The HRW emphasized that the insults and inferior care services at the maternity care resulted in the deaths of the mothers, within a few days after delivering the child.

As per, Agnes Odhiambo, author of the report, Stop Making Excuses: Accountability for Maternal Health Care in South Africa, at times the nurses were unaware of the wrong that they were doing to the patient. She further added, “They believe that by shouting at women, by slapping them, they are helping them to comply, to listen to what they are supposed to do so that they can deliver”.