When my first child was born in Medellín, Colombia, I had an emergency C-section after a long labor. My doula supported me at home, then accompanied us to the hospital, where I paid a small copay of 53,000 Colombian pesos, about $14. On discharge day, my husband was sent to the finance desk to settle the bill. Nervous about what we might owe, we learned that almost everything had been covered.
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The inquiry aims to address unacceptable risks women face during childbirth in the NHS, amid revelations of higher mortality rates among black and Asian mothers.