Another maternal death has gripped the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) this time a twenty-five-year-old mother died yesterday afternoon almost a day after the hospital delivered her still- born baby girl via c-section.
Dead is Monica Carmichael of Lot 369, No. 30 Village, West Coast Berbice who was transferred to the facility from the New Amsterdam Hospital on Friday night.
The death of Carmichael, who is the mother of a four-year-old girl, came on the heels of another death at the very hospital when 38-year-old Marion Bristol of 47 Mile, Mabura Road, Region 10 succumbed on Monday night shortly after she had delivered a baby girl.
A grieving cousin of Carmichael, Vanessa, told Stabroek News today that the young mother died hours after she had left her “in good spirits and talking good, good”
The woman said that Carmichael was taken to the operating theatre on Tuesday afternoon, more than two days after she was told that her baby had died inside of her, and was never taken to the ward until yesterday morning.
Vanessa said sometime last week, Carmichael, who was scheduled to give birth early next month, indicated that she was feeling pain and “like the baby deh turning up but she said she would wait until her clinic day on Friday.” She said when Carmichael left her home last week Friday for the New Amsterdam Hospital clinic she was passing blood.
“After she left and I see she didn’t come back home in the afternoon I call she and she tell me how she get admit because she pressure high,” Vanessa said.
She said she continued to communicate with her cousin via phone and later in the night she indicated that she was being transferred to the GPHC because the pressure remained too high. The family kept in contact with the young woman when she arrived at the GPHC and a friend was also visiting her.
“I call she Saturday afternoon and soon she answer I know something wrong and I ask. She ain’t want answer but I keep asking she wah happen and then she tell me that the doctor do a ultrasound and de baby dead inside she.”
The cousin said Carmichael was not convinced that her baby was dead as she kept insisting that she was feeling movement but her grandmother, Avril Carmichael, with whom they live, told her “to let dem take out the baby to save she life.”
However, it was not until Tuesday afternoon that the young woman was taken to the theatre and she never left until yesterday morning. The friend waited for her the entire Tuesday afternoon but while other persons where wheeled out of the theatre Carmichael remained and the friend received no information on her condition. Because she was in the theatre relatives were also unable to make contact with her on the phone.
Vanessa said she arrived at GPHC at around 10 am yesterday and shortly after Carmichael was brought out of the theatre.
“She was talking and so on and she tell me the cut hurting like it pulling and she back hurting too but I tell she not to worry how things guh be alright when she come out.”
At the time an uncle was also visiting and Vanessa said they left at around 2 pm because they had to attend a funeral.
“But I keep calling she all at the church I calling and I didn’t getting any answer and we become worried.”
It was not until after 6 pm a woman answered the phone and identified herself as a nurse who enquired if she was related to Carmichael and when she told her that she was a cousin the nurse informed that someone should visit the hospital immediately.
“She tell me how something bad happen and I keep asking she what but she just keep saying that something bad happen and somebody should come. I hear other people in the background telling she that she can’t give out information over de phone and she tell me again how she can’t tell me what happen on the phone.”
Vanessa said they immediately realized that Carmichael had died and their worst fears were confirmed when an uncle and other relatives visited the hospital at around 10 last night. The relatives were told that Carmichael had three seizures and hospital officials were unable to revive her the third time.
Her cousin said the death is shocking because her cousin appeared to be quite alright when she left her on Tuesday afternoon even as she questioned the length of time she spent in the theatre. She said she was told that there were no beds in the c-section ward and that was why Carmichael had to be kept overnight.
A post-mortem is expected to be performed.
This is the eighth maternal death since September and these occurred at the GPHC and the New Amsterdam and Skeldon Hospitals. Health authorities have said that maternal deaths have so far not been out of line with the norms nevertheless Cabinet recently ordered a sub-committee to address the matters and many in the public have questioned the quality of care received by some of the patients.
