NYC Council speaker vows to keep maternal health a top priority after recent childbirth deaths
NEW YORK — New York City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams vowed Wednesday to keep maternal health a top priority in the city after two women of color died during childbirth at a city hospital over the last year.
CBS News New York's Jennifer Bisram recently spoke to fathers Jose Perez and Nelson Ramirez, who both lost their wives to C-section complications while giving birth at Woodhull Hospital in the last year.
There have been three maternal deaths at the city-run public hospital since 2020, according to city data.
"We are failing women"
Wednesday, Adams called on city, state and federal health leaders and experts to come together to end maternal mortality.
"We are failing women during one of the most vulnerable periods of their lives," she said. "The crisis doesn't exist solely at Woodhull, although we are not dismissing the issues at Woodhull. We're going to continue as a council to hold our oversight hearings."
Adams added, "Our public hospitals are overwhelmed. They are overwhelmed because of staffing issues, under-resourcing issues."
Most maternal deaths in the city and around the country, she says, were preventable.
"A common thread in these tragedies is often lack of clear communication," Adams said.
Adams calls out disparities in health care
In New York City, an average of 20 women die each year from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes, with Black and brown women among the highest.
"These disparities are a product of medical and structural racism that make access to adequate health care and treatment out of reach for low-income, immigrant and Black women," Adams said.
The health department recorded 57 pregnancy-associated deaths since 2019.
Midwife Patricia Loftman has advice for expecting mothers.
"You certainly want to find a facility that has a midwifery service that is well-integrated," she said.
Adams also said while there's no immediate solution to the maternal health crisis here in New York City, it will now be a priority. In the meantime, families who recently lost loved ones at Woodhull Hospital say it's not fast enough.
CBS News New York reached to New York City Health + Hospitals and were told the health care system has made significant improvements in the area of maternal health and has been focused on helping reduce the unacceptable maternal mortality rates among women of color.