The husband of an 18-year-old mother of two, who died on December 31 after sustaining injuries during a botched abortion, was unaware that his wife had gone to terminate her pregnancy.
The father of the dead woman’s two children, Vishal Surujpaul, told this newspaper that he did not know the doctor involved,
who is being sought by the police.
Karen Badal, of Lot 2 North Vigilance, East Coast Demerara (ECD), who was four months pregnant, died as a result of a perforated uterus and acute peritonitis. This was the finding of Pathologist Dr Vivikanand Bridgemohan who performed the post-mortem examination at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) two days ago.
Surujpaul told this newspaper that he did not know when Badal went to have the abortion and only knew that the facility was based in Mon Repos, ECD.
“It was two days before Christmas and we din been home… I don’t know when she went and do it,” the young man mournfully said while sitting among those congregated at their home for Badal’s funeral yesterday.
He said he did not know the identity of the doctor nor his location, but was anxiously awaiting feedback from the police.
The man’s mother, Pammy, explained that her daughter-in-law was complaining of abdominal pain the day following the abortion and this prompted them to take her to the GPH where she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
On Christmas Day, the woman said, she received a call from the hospital indicating that Badal would be required to undergo immediate surgery. Despite the efforts of doctors at the GPH, the young mother died on December 31.
Pammy said the physician who performed the abortion visited the woman while she was being treated at the hospital and offered the family $12,000, which he told them can be considered as a refund. “That was the last we hear from him,” the woman told this newspaper.
She further stated that the doctor has since closed his Mon Repos surgery and has taken down the signboard. Also, she said, inquiries at his place of employment revealed that he had not returned to work since the incident went public.
The family indicated that they have since sought advice from the Ministry of Health to which they submitted a letter explaining the situation. They want a thorough investigation to be launched into the matter and relevant action taken.
Badal is also survived by her two sons, Jonathon and Justin, 2 years old and 4 months old respectively.
