Our Story
In 2004, having recently completed medical training to become a specialist anaesthetist, Dr Andrew Ottaway spent some time doing volunteer work in KwaZulu-Natal, rural South Africa. This included time in Empangeni, at a large women's and childrens hospital that saw over 13,000 births a year but with only untrained junior doctors on-site to provide anaesthesia care.
Photo: Paolo Patruno © paolopatrunophoto.org
One afternoon a heavily pregnant woman was brought in having been found convulsing at a local bus stop. By the time she arrived at the hospital she had stopped convulsing but remained unconscious. After stabilising her condition as much as possible an urgent Caesarean section was performed to deliver the baby.
The baby survived, but unfortunately the woman did not regain consciousness and she died in the Intensive Care Unit 3 days later.
This patient died from a condition known as Eclampsia. While Dr Ottaway was in Empangeni the hospital saw an average of one woman die every week from eclampsia or other conditions related to pregnancy and childbirth. It was this particular patient however that started his journey to the formation of Health Volunteers International, in an attempt to try to change the reality of maternal health, and health care in general, in low and middle-income countries.
