Central Florida women for Harris discuss Black women’s health issues

Attendees at Orlando’s Black Women’s Health Roundtable gather for a photo to show support for Vice President Kamala Harris. Central Florida women met on Monday in Orlando to underscore health disparities in the medical field and reproductive rights of Black women. The women also praised Vice President Kamala Harris for her work in putting forth policies that will reduce racism in the medical field. Moderating the panel was State Rep. Kamia Brown. She was joined by Judge Glenda Hatchett, courtroom TV show judge; Massachusetts Senator Rebecca Rausch; Central Florida gynecologist Ann Ashley-Gilbert; and reproductive rights advocate Keisha Mulfort. The women shared their stories, discussed statistics and legislation and offered their advice to those in attendance. Hatchett’s daughter-in-law, Kira Johnson, died in childbirth due to medical neglect. Hatchett said, “They never did the CT scan, which they should’ve done, and they would’ve understood that she was bleeding profusely. All of her signs, even without the CT scan, were a mess.” By the time the medical team identified the problem, there were three liters of blood in her abdomen. Hatchett said. “She coded, they brought her back, she coded later and she never came back.” Johnson left behind a husband, 19-month-old baby...