The Health Ministry is investigating the death of a 32-year old woman on Christmas night, two weeks after giving birth to a baby boy at the Suddie Hospital.
According to Jean Bharrat, her daughter Taunugha Harnandan, called ‘Talifa,’ of Lot 288, Richmond Housing Scheme, Essequibo Coast was admitted to the Suddie Hospital on December 9 and died on Christmas night at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), where she was transferred after her condition deteriorated. It was the hairdresser’s first child.
When contacted last evening, Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran told Stabroek News that the ministry is investigating the case. He said that a preliminary report on the matter was submitted to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), who he noted is still investigating the matter vigorously, including whether medical protocol was breached.
Bharrat told Stabroek News that on Thursday December 8, her daughter complained of labour pains and she was taken to the Suddie Hospital that night for medical examination. She said that her daughter was admitted and on the following day delivered a baby boy. But, she noted, the young woman complained of pains.
The family, she added, was concerned that a Caesarean-Section operation was performed on Harnandan “and hospital staff tell we the doctor ain’t trained for that.” Bharrat said her daughter related to her that the female doctor, who hails from the Essequibo Coast, told her that she will perform “a neat cut and it will not pain.” She said that her daughter also complained that she was experiencing excruciating pains in her back and abdomen.
Harnandan was discharged from the hospital on Monday December 12 and, according to her mother, the young woman continued to cry out for pains about her body even though she was using medication given to her by the hospital. She said that on Friday December 16, she took her daughter to the Suddie Hospital, “and she (the doctor) seh meh daughter deh bad and that she gat to go to town.” Harnandan was subsequently air-dashed to the city.
Bharrat said that she grew more worried as she looked at her daughter, who seemed extremely weak. According to her, after she was admitted to the GPH, Harnandan’s condition worsened. She said that the woman was communicating with her about her pains and how she felt, making her concerned about her pale and weak appearance.
She said that on Christmas night, sometime after 10:30, her daughter “start scramble foh breath.” She died sometime after midnight.
Bharrat noted that the father of the child has since taken the baby away from the family and moved to the Essequibo River island of Leguan.
The grieving mother noted that the family plans to pursue the matter to ensure that someone is answerable and bears responsibility for her daughter’s death. A number of maternity-related deaths have plagued the health system in recent years and in 2010 the figure peaked, forcing the authorities to launch an inquiry into the situation.
Ramsaran told this newspaper last evening that because of the law governing maternal deaths, each case has to be examined extensively not only at the level of the Health Ministry but also by Cabinet. He said that he could not say at what point a full investigation into the latest matter will be completed.
He pointed out that the ministry has found that haemorrhaging was given as the leading cause of maternal deaths in the past and as a result an emergency medical plan has been put in place to remedy the issue.
Ramsaran said that because of emphasis placed on safe delivery and reduction of maternal deaths, the ministry was pleased that in 2011 there was a 50% reduction of maternal deaths, from 24 in the previous year to 12. However, he said that the ministry will enforce zero tolerance on maternal deaths, since one life lost is “still too much.” He added that the ministry plans to ensure that this is a year of no maternal deaths.
