A woman who delivered a stillborn baby at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) in November last year is suing the institution for $20m.
In legal proceedings filed in the High Court, Sumarie Balwant is seeking damages in excess of $10m for alleged negligence as a result of acts and or omissions by personnel of the hospital between November 16 and 18th at the Maternity Ward of the hospital.
She is also seeking damages in excess of $10m for personal injuries, pain and suffering occasioned by the same alleged negligence. She is also pursuing exemplary damages.
Balwant was pregnant with her second child. She had delivered the first via Caesarean section (C-section).
When she visited the GPHC clinic, which she had been attending throughout her entire pregnancy, Balwant was told that she was ready for delivery and should return the following day to be admitted, which she did. However, according to her relatives although Balwant’s amniotic sac broke and she indicated that she was experiencing terrible labour pain, she was told by nurses that she was not ready, even after they had conducted an examination.
Minister of Public Health Dr George Norton, in an invited comment, had expressed his condolences to the family of the child. He described the case as a very unfortunate one and went on to explain that the baby died as a result of an abnormal condition during pregnancy called velamentous cord insertion. Normally, the umbilical cord is inserted in the middle of the placenta as it develops but in this condition the cord is inserted on the membranes rather than on the placental mass. It leaves vessels unprotected, which can rupture at any time during pregnancy causing foetal blood loss and death. Norton had that if diagnosed early, there would have been a need for a C-section as early as 35 weeks.
The writ was issued by attorney Anil Nandlall.
