A post-mortem examination conducted on the teen who died days after undergoing a C-section delivery at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) revealed that malaria and blood pressure complications caused her death, but still not satisfied her father says he will search for answers after he has buried her.
A still distraught Vincent Emmanuel, the Toshao of Sebai Village in Region One, said the post-mortem examination on the body of his daughter, Olinka Emmanuel, was done yesterday. “I am still not satisfied. I cannot understand if it was malaria she had, why they didn’t give her treatment,” he said.
Emmanuel was finalising arrangements to take Olinka’s body back home to Sebai yesterday. He said the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs had agreed to help with the passage but was unsure if the body would be flown to the North West in a coffin. He said airline officials had told him that there would not be space for a coffin and he would have to use a body bag. He said while he did not want this, if it was the only option available he would have to do that. “I will take it [the death] up after the burial,” he said, while adding that Olinka’s baby will soon be discharged from hospital. The infant, who is healthy, was readmitted to hospital after her mother took ill.
Based on what Stabroek News had been told, the teen had ongoing issues with high blood pressure, which is a condition that is typical to her family. After visiting the clinic, she was hospitalised at the Port Kaituma Hospital. Two Sundays ago she was airlifted to the city and admitted to the Georgetown Hospital, where her condition was closely monitored. Relatives said that at the time the 18-year-old was eight months pregnant and was otherwise in good health. She was anxiously awaiting the arrival of her baby.
Last Tuesday, the child was delivered via C-section and three days later she and the baby were discharged from hospital. However, Olinka’s foot soon started swelling, she had a fever and she began complaining of feeling unwell.
Emmanuel had told this newspaper that it was soon after taking some medication prescribed by the hospital that her condition took a turn for the worse. The teen was rushed to the hospital during the wee hours of Saturday morning, where she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit before she died around 7.20 am.
