Negligence led to foetus being dismembered by Dog- Health Ministry investigating

The Ministry of Public Health today confirmed reports of a foetus being dismembered by a stray dog after being improperly disposed of, by staff at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

The Ministry said it “will be further investigating the matter to ascertain who was responsible for this gross act of negligence and will take the necessary action, including disciplinary, to ensure that an incident of this nature does not reoccur.”

The incident occurred between Monday and Tuesday.

According to reports, the feeble infant was prematurely delivered on Monday after the mother was rushed to the Hospital. The baby succumbed to organ failure just minutes after being born. The mother asked the hospital staff to take care of the dead child who disposed of the corpse within the building, which led to a stray dog wandered in and making a meal of the dead infant.

The badly damaged body was later discovered in the hospital’s compound, and a photo of the remains went viral on social media.

It was noted that the established protocol for the disposal of Biohazardous waste in the Public hospital setting and this was not adhered to by Hospital personnel.

The protocol entails hospitals sending their Biohazardous waste to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) which has the proper means of disposing such.

The Diamond Hospital’s administration was instructed to send the foetus for proper disposal at the GPHC, but there was a lack of compliance.