Mexico's rights commission investigating death of pregnant indigenous woman at clinic

MEXICO CITY – Mexico's latest case of denial of medical care for poor and Indian women has resulted in the death of a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

Mexico's National Human Rights Commission says it has launched an investigation into the latest case, in which a Mixtec Indian woman waited five hours for treatment at a government-run rural health clinic before dying.

The commission said Wednesday that the woman's unborn baby also died at the clinic in the southern state of Guerrero in late March.

The commission says the clinic staff never treated the 20-year-old woman before she died of a heart attack and respiratory failure. She was eight months pregnant.

Activists say at least 20 Mexican women have given birth in streets, patios or hospital waiting rooms after being denied help.