Mother claims baby killed after mishandled at West Dem. Hospital

By Devina Samaroo

A 37-year-old mother of Nismes, West Bank Demerara (WBD) is struggling to move on, nearly a month after her newborn baby died at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Christina Scott is claiming that her child was mishandled by the doctors who, she said, used brute force during delivery, resulting in brain damage to the infant.

The baby boy was born on October 20, 2018, but died some ten minutes later and doctors were unable to explain the reason for his death, according to the mother.

The mother of two other children claimed that the doctors who attended to her were callous and even as she cried out in pain, begging for them to take her to the delivery room, no one came to her ‘rescue’.

When she finally made it onto the bed, the baby’s head was already visible.

Christina alleged that the doctor tightly gripped the child, leaving finger indentations on the head.

“It’s how they hold he, no gloves, no nothing,” she recounted.

The mother strongly believes her baby died because of the injuries he likely sustained from his head being squeezed by the doctor who delivered him.

Ultrasounds done just days before she gave birth to her full-term baby show that he was healthy and fully developed.

Her husband, Chetram Persaud, is demanding answers.

Lamenting that “poor people” don’t usually get justice in “this country”, the father urged that some higher authority launch an investigation into what goes on at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Christina and Chetram had lots of plans for their baby. He was going to be named Elisah and when he was old enough, he would have been helping his dad at the family farm.

Christina cries herself to sleep most nights and it breaks her husband’s heart being unable to console his wife.

This family’s story came to light after News Room reported on a similar situation which occurred at the same health institution, where a 16-year-old lost her twin boys shortly after they were born.

When contacted, Minister of Public Health Volda Lawrence says she will probe the allegations being levelled against doctors at the West Demerara Regional Hospital.

Minister Lawrence says she will not respond to “hearsay” but will seek information from all the parties involved before making a pronouncement on the issue.