MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – A woman who was forced to give birth on the street just outside Somalia’s largest public maternity hospital after being denied care for lack of money has sparked national outrage and a wave of condemnation against the government.
Footage widely shared on social media on Thursday shows the woman lying on the pavement outside Banadir Hospital in Mogadishu, just metres from the hospital gate. A man can be heard pleading with bystanders to help, but no medical staff came to her aid.
Moments later, the woman gave birth on the street with the help of a passer-by. Tragically, the newborn died shortly after delivery.
The distressing video has prompted fury across Somalia, with many questioning how a government-run hospital could turn away a woman in labour while authorities continue to collect taxes from citizens on income, goods, vehicles and services.
Public outrage
The incident has ignited a political storm, with opposition leaders and members of the public calling it a symbol of systemic neglect and corruption within Somalia’s healthcare system.
Abdirahman Abdishakur Warsame, a federal MP and prominent opposition figure, condemned the episode as “harrowing and heartbreaking,” describing it as a “deep failure of responsibility and a troubling disregard for basic humanity.”
“That poor mothers are forced to give birth on the streets … while others sleep by the roadside at night waiting for national ID registration, is not only a violation of their rights but also a profound assault on their dignity and humanity,” he said.
He questioned how citizens could be taxed “from every household, business and vehicle” while government hospitals deny lifesaving care to those who cannot afford to pay.
Government response
Somalia’s Minister of Health, Ali Hajji Adan, apologised to the public on Friday, calling the incident “appalling” and pledging that such an event “will not happen again.”
However, his remarks have done little to quell public anger, with many accusing the government of offering contradictory explanations and failing to address the deeper issues of mismanagement and inequality in the public health sector.
A mirror of wider crisis
The tragedy has drawn attention to the chronic underfunding and corruption plaguing Somalia’s public hospitals, where patients are often required to pay for basic services despite the institutions being state-funded.
Human rights advocates say the case reflects the daily struggles faced by thousands of Somali women, particularly those from poor and displaced communities, who lack access to safe and affordable maternity care.
As outrage grows, many are demanding justice for the mother and her lost child – and a national reckoning over how the government treats its most vulnerable citizens.
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