Contents

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. List of Illustrations ix
4. Acknowledgments xi
5. List of Abbreviations xv
6. Prologue xvii
7. Introduction 1
8. 1. The Mawingu Regional Hospital Maternity Ward 22
9. 2. Working in Scarcity 45
10. 3. Protocols and Deviations 67
11. 4. “Bad Luck,” Lost Babies, and the Structuring of Realities 91
12. 5. Landscapes of Accountability in Care 110
13. 6. The Stories We Tell about the Deaths We See 126
14. 7. Already Dead 147
15. 8. “Pregnancy Is Poison” 165
16. 9. The Meanings of Maternal Death 188
17. Epilogue 204
18. Appendix: Deaths Occurring during the Field Period 207
19. Glossary of Medical Terms 211
20. Notes 215
21. References 225
22. Index 241