MATERNAL HEAlTH

A widower who blames staff at a prominent Phnom Penh hospital for the death of his wife during child birth has settled for monetary compensation in exchange for dropping a criminal complaint against staff at the hospital. Ly Kok Meng said he agreed to receive 4.5 million riels (US$1,079) arranged by Phnom Penh Municipal Court. Court officials brokered the deal with representatives from the Cambodian-Russian Friendship Hospital last week. Ly Kok Meng said he felt he had no choice but to take the money after court officials urged him to compromise. “I don’t feel happy at all with this small amount of money,” he said. “It can’t compensate for the death of my wife, but I must accept it because I know I can’t keep on pursuing legal action.” His wife, Ban Rany, 23, died in early November after hospital staff injected her with a serum as she was going into labour. Ly Kok Meng said the doctors and a midwife acted carelessly. Hospital staff members said that Ban Rany died from an unpreventable allergic reaction to the serum. Say Sengly, the hospital’s director, could not be reached for comment Sunday.