A 22-year-old paralyzed girl is now dead after a suspected heart attack, however, relatives believe that the New Amsterdam Hospital could have done better in offering care to the young woman when they visited on Saturday morning.
Shameeza Khan of Lot 7 West Canefield, East Canje Berbice, the aunt of now-deceased Farzana Khan, 22, said that on Saturday around 9 am she took Farzana to the hospital after she began feeling ill.
Shameeza who has taken care of her paralyzed niece for the last decade, said, “She take in Saturday and I took her to the New Amsterdam Hospital and when we went there there was no doctors at the outpatient and we had to wait for over two hours.”
According to the woman, although it was an “emergency” they had to wait their turn to meet with a doctor. “There was no doctor working at the outpatient, a doctor from emergency come out and end up see us”, she said.
After they were able to meet with a doctor several tests were ordered for Farzana who at that time had a heartbeat of 151. “When we walk go the lab it was open but the guy there turn us back and said come back Monday”, she related.
She continued, “He come out and I show him the paper and he ask me if she was getting pain and I said yes and he say he can’t do the test now let I come back Monday morning.”
Shameeza said that on Sunday evening Farzana fell into a coma-like state after which she was rushed to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital where she shortly after succumbed.
Meanwhile, the family yesterday met with the CEO of the New Amsterdam Public Hospital, Bob Ramnauth where they were told that the lab works twenty-four hours.
Shameeza said, that they were told that Farzana would have had to fast to have the test done on Monday. However, Shameeza said that on Saturday this was not told to them, rather they left the hospital around midday and at that time no medical professional had told them that Farzana would have to fast to have the test done on Monday. “I ask the doctor Saturday and them said is a random test…”
The family is questioning why the hospital did not even consider having the young lady admitted for observation given her condition or order a heart test.
Meanwhile, it is suspected that Farzana suffered a heart attack, and after the family requested that no autopsy be done given that the young lady had undergone surgery due to her illness, she will be laid to rest today.
As of yesterday afternoon, Stabroek News was told that an investigation was launched into the matter.
Farzana who suffered from a cerebral ailment at the age of 13 resulting in her being paralyzed was known throughout the Canje community as a jovial person.
Last year, Farzana visited one of President Irfaan Ali’s outreaches to Region Six after which she gained employment under the government’s part-time initiative and was placed at the Cumberland Health Centre.
Her aunt yesterday said that she enjoyed working. “I would take her to work and collect her every day and she loved it, going out and work… She is a very easy, quiet person, very easy”, she said.
