By Cathy Richards
An investigation carried out by the Regional Health Department of Region Ten stated that there was no foetal heartbeat prior to the death of Tricia Winth who succumbed with her baby in utero at the Linden Hospital Complex on 26th December 2009.
The investigation conducted by a team of regional and medical personnel headed by Regional Health Officer Dr. Pansy Armstrong occurred over two days following directives from the Regional Executive Officer (REC) Henry Rodney. Stabroek News understands that the REO was instructed by the Minister of Local Govern-ment to ensure the investigation was done.
According to the report, statements were taken from eleven medical personnel including medical superintendent Dr. F. Riyasat and A&E personnel Dr. K Stephenson and Dr. R. McDonald, nurses and the supervisor who were on duty, and nurses and Medexes of the One Mile Health Centre where Winth attended antenatal clinics.
The report stated that a registered midwife was asked by another nurse to look at Winth who at the time was receiving oxygen and complaining of pains to the right side and was also having headaches. Upon examination contractions were lasting for approximately twenty seconds and her blood pressure read 140/90. On vaginal examination it was found that the cervix had dilated 1 finger and Winth’s urine was dark red in colour. This condition was reported to a doctor who at the time was on duty at the accident and emergency unit. The doctor verbally advised that the patient be catheterized.
An assistant nurse, who at the time was attending to another patient, was asked to review to Winth’s condition after she had been fitted with a catheter. A line of treatment was administered by the assistant nurse when the patient’s blood pressure read 200/120. It was during this time it was discovered that there was no foetal heart rate. According to the findings at that time a doctor who was attached to another unit was summoned and advised that an apresoline drip be administered and Magnesium sulphate be given. The said doctor then summoned the Medical Superintendent. As indicated in the report, on more than one instance nurses attending to Winth were advised to contact the doctor-in-charge. “He (an A&E doctor) seemed unclear about who was the doctor-in-charge of the maternity ward at the time, but advised nurses that they should contact the doctor-in-charge of the maternity ward. He too seemed not to know whether the Chinese doctors were around or not.” stated the report.
According to the medical superintendent, as stated in the report, he had arrived at the hospital at 11:40 pm and the patient was lying in a supine position with oxygen being administered and ringers lactate with apresoline in progress, Foley’s catheter was in situ but no urine was observed in the bag. At the time Winth was said to have been unconscious and gasping. It was determined that the pregnancy was thirty-eight weeks old and there was again no foetal heart rate. At that time her blood pressure read 140/100.
According to reports from the One Mile Health Centre, early in Winth’s pregnancy her vital signs were normal but at thirty-five weeks the gestation position of the foetus was transverse and this resulted in her being referred to the Medex. The Medex did a follow-up examination but found the position to be vertical.
The report stated that Tricia’s clinic card revealed that she was referred to the hospital by a Medex with a blood pressure of 140/80, transverse lie and oedema on the 30th November 2009. Dr. Riyasat stated that she was admitted on the same day and discharged on 2nd December, 2009.
Contacted yesterday, the husband of the deceased woman, Eusibo Winth said that he had not been in official receipt of any findings of the investigations carried out by the regional body. He said that since her demise he had been back and forth seeking information. He said that several senior medical personnel including the Regional Health Officer had promised to contact him but to date this was not forthcoming.
Tricia was taken to the LHC on the 26th December by her husband after she was complaining of chest pains and had vomited twice. Her husband had left her in the care of nurses at around 10 pm. He received a call from the hospital at about 1 am informing him that preparations were being made to transfer her to the GPHC. Another call followed twenty minutes later saying that his wife had died. Post-mortem results revealed that Tricia Winth died of a ruptured vessel in the brain.
Winth died a few weeks after the new hospital facility was officially commissioned, however the operating theatre was not functioning as yet resulting in surgical cases being transferred to the Georgetown Public Hosptal Complex. Tricia died while being prepared to be transferred.
