An Anna Regina mother is still coming to terms with the results of the harsh treatment she experienced from a particular midwife at the maternity department at the Suddie Public Hospital in Region Two. Her newborn daughter had to be air-dashed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) after the infant suffered a lack of oxygen allegedly due to a delay in her delivery.
The mother along with her husband are blaming the alleged negligence of a midwife at the maternity department of the Suddie Public Hospital for the complicated delivery. Twenty-eight-year-old Arisa Mohamed and her 30-year-old husband, Rameez Fyzul, of Anna Regina Housing Scheme are still coming to grips with the entire situation. The baby girl is said to be in neonatal care at the GPH in a critical condition.
Regional Health Officer Dr Ranjeev Singh said an investigation will be launched of the matter but based on his knowledge no procedure were breached at the hospital. He also said that the Regional Health Services did everything possible to ensure that the baby was air-dashed for further medical attention
Relating the ordeal, the mother forcing back tears, said that she was admitted to the hospital on August 27 after experiencing excruciating delivery pain. She was admitted around 1:00 in the morning and it was also when one of the midwives (name provided) was apparently feeling sleepy.
The mother while in pain, was then asked to unpack her baby’s clothes and lie on the bed.
“I was admitted early in that morning. I told them that I was in delivery pain but the midwife just keeps telling me to go on the bed. She was so rude, she then took three-finger and pushed it up right up in me causing the water bag to burst and then she left and went to sleep… I then went on the bed moaning with pain nor was she there” the mother related.
She said around 3:00 that morning another midwife came to check on her when she noticed that the baby was already coming. She then told her that she is having a “breech” delivery. A breach in pregnancy occurs when the foetus presents buttocks or feet first rather than head, therefore, creating significant implications in terms of delivery.
The midwife immediately intervened to alleviate the situation and when the baby was delivered, it was observed to be experiencing breathing problems. The mother said her newborn was then taken to neonatal care unit of the Suddie Public Hospital and it wasn’t until several hours later that she saw her baby.
The parents of the baby girl were told by doctors that the baby had a slim chance of surviving and her organs were badly damaged.
In the meantime staff members were contemplating rushing the newborn to GPHC but did not do so the same day. It was not until the day after that they began the process to have an aircraft sent for the newborn.
“The aircraft reached and the ambulance didn’t reach yet. My mother went with the newborn. There were so many delays, why they didn’t just do it the morning? They were just considering it all the time,” the mother asked.
The newborn was air-dashed to the GPH and is currently in neonatal care. Both parents believe that if the delivery was treated with the urgency required then their daughter would have been healthy. The couple reached out to the Regional Health Officer who told them to write a letter of complaint and then he will take the necessary actions.
This is the second baby for the couple.
Only recently a mother from Region One had her baby fall into a bin after the alleged negligence of staff members at the maternity section of the hospital. Scores of other mothers have complained about the harsh treatments meted out by maternity staff during their admission.
