The Medical Council of Guyana is set to deliberate on the findings of investigations into the deaths of three children who died at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) after they received chemotherapy treatment earlier this year.
Chairman of the Medical Council Dr Navindranauth Rambaran told this newspaper on Friday that during the course of the past week, they were furnished with a report from the GPH and will be discussing the findings at the council’s statutory meeting scheduled for this week.
Rambaran explained that given the gravity and circumstances of the issue, discussions will be given prominence at the upcoming council’s meeting.
The Medical Council had taken the initiative to carry out an investigation despite no direct complaint being made. Rambaran had said it was because of the “gravity and circumstances” of the case.
In January, following the deaths of seven-year-old Curwayne Edwards, who died on January 14th; three-year-old Roshini Seegobin of Enmore, East Coast Demerara, who died on January 18th; and six-year-old Sharezer Mendonca of Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, who died on January 24th, the GPH and the Ministry of Public Health launched separate investigations. The three children had leukemia and were treated by the same team of doctors.
The investigations found that the medication was incorrectly administered, and standard operating procedures were not followed.
Meanwhile, Ganesh Hira, the attorney for Mendonca’s family, told this newspaper that they are awaiting a copy of the report and all of Mendonca’s medical records. He said that they expect to receive the items next week.
Hira said that after reviewing the documents, they will be looking at filing legal action. He said that unless a significant settlement is offered, and the hospital accepts liability for what occurred, they will not consider withdrawing the legal action.
Following the conclusion of the GPH and the ministry’s investigations, the findings were announced by Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Karen Gordon-Boyle at a recent press conference, where she explained that the protocols for administering of the pre-chemotherapy drugs to the children were not adhered to. The drugs, which were previously not publicly named, were identified as vincristine and methotrexate. Gordon-Boyle said vincristine was administered intrathecally (administration for drugs via an injection into the spinal canal) rather than intravenously (administration of drugs through the vein with an injection).
The three doctors who were directly involved were relieved of their duties and subsequently sent on administrative leave on January 29th and they currently remain on leave.
Chairperson of the GPH Board Kessaundra Alves had said that the hospital’s board of directors will have to discuss the findings and the recommendations before deciding the way forward.
“…Contractually, we can determine who works at GPHC but who’s licensed to practice medicine in Guyana is a matter for the Medical Council of Guyana to handle,” Alves had said. She added that the GPHC has “done as far as we could have, pending administrative leave, pending a review of these reports by the Board of Directors at the GPHC.”
