Complaint lodged with Medical Council regarding death of newborn; Legal Action to follow

A 29-year-old woman of Vryman’s Erven, New Amsterdam, Berbice, is seeking a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of her newborn son on at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital on Wednesday, May 24, 2017.

Through Attorney-at-law, Anil Nandlall, the woman, Bibi Girdharry and her husband Durel Hooper has lodged a complaint with the Guyana Medical Council in relation to the matter.

Outlining what transpired, the document noted that the woman was admitted to the Hospital when she was forty-one (41) weeks pregnant. This was on May 22, 2017.

The matter was widely reported in the Press including News Room. During one of our interviews, the woman related that it was her first baby. She noted that on May 23, 2017, at about 11:45 pm her water bag (amniotic sac) broke. Girdharry said she informed that nurse who was on duty and insisted that she be taken to the labour room, however, the nurse refused.

She was then taken to the labour room at 6:30 a.m. on May 24, 2017. After much struggle, a Cesarean section was requested at approximately 12:30 p.m. and was told by “a doctor Singh” that “we don’t butcher people.”

At 3:45 p.m., the patient was taken to the theatre where a Dr. Ganesh, informed the patient that if anyone asks why a Cesarean section was done, the patient should say that the baby’s head was too big.

A Cesarean section was then performed, and upon regaining the consciousness, the patient was informed that the child was “okay.”

Subsequently, the patient was informed that the baby cannot breathe on its own and that they will transfer the baby to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Georgetown.

The baby died en route to Georgetown.

On the morning of May 25, 2017, the patient for the first time that she had a breathing problem. An X-ray was done which showed that there was a mass on the patient right side stomach. A CT scan was done, and it was discovered that on the patient’s right side lungs, there were blood clots.

Post-mortem examination reveals that they baby had suffered neonatal lung distress and a severe brain edema.