Nigel Rodney, the husband of maternal death victim Luann Rodney, says he is yet to be officially updated and told what actions would be taken against the attending doctor reportedly found negligent in his wife’s death by an expert committee.
“I only hear that the doctor was found negligent from the news, no one from the Georgetown Hospital or the Ministry of Health called me to tell me anything and I have been waiting all this time for some word… I know the report was complete and it went to some expert but no one has called to say this that or the other,” Rodney told Stabroek News yesterday.
On June, Luann Rodney, 28, and her baby died during delivery at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).
Doctors had expressed dissatisfaction with the way the woman was treated and had opined that it was a death that could have been easily avoided. Concerns were raised as to the use of the pill Cytotec to induce labour. The pill was inserted into her to bring on labour since she was long past her due date. She was due to deliver by May 22 and the pill was inserted on the night of June 3.
An autopsy revealed that the woman’s uterus had ruptured, causing her to bleed profusely and die from haemorrhagic shock.
Minister of Health Dr. Bheri Ramsaran had told Stabroek News on June 19th that a report into the young woman’s death was complete and that the obstetrician who was on duty at the time has been sent on administrative leave pending a decision by the Chief Medical Officer Shamdeo Persaud. The decision to send the doctor on leave was made by GPHC officials.
When contacted yesterday, Persaud said that he was in traffic and could not speak but would facilitate this newspaper today to discuss the issue.
Nigel Rodney says that he will also be visiting the GPHC today to find out what will be done now that his initial concerns about negligence of medical personnel turned out true. “I am still very much concerned and I think I should be told something. I saw Mr. Khan (GPHC’s CEO Michael Khan) only last week and he said nothing to me. It is for them to let me know. I don’t have to be chasing them down and I am disappointed… I will be going to pay them a visit to hear for myself,” he said.
