GPHC refutes claims that patient died because of improper care

The Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) is disputing reports that a patient, Quason Benjamin, died at the institution because he was reportedly left unattended. In a statement on Wednesday, GPHC said Benjamin developed blood clots during surgery and this resulted in his death days later. According to reports, Benjamin who suffered two broken limbs, was allegedly not given proper care while hospitalised.

See the full statement from GPHC below:

With reference to the social media posts being circulated which purports that a patient in need of surgery was admitted on November 21, 2022 and left unattended at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), resulting in his demise, the GPHC wishes to discredit the claims. The Corporation also encourages the public to desist from publishing claims based on partial information and urges the media to reach out to us to verify the facts before publishing misleading information.

From a medical perspective, a multiple-injured person requires optimal stabilization before any surgical intervention is attempted. Based on our records, all preoperative optimization protocols were carried out. Despite the medical team’s best efforts, the patient suffered a thromboembolic event intra-operatively, and succumbed days later.

Every loss of a patient is unfortunate, and our hearts go out to their families. While we sympathize with the loss that is felt by every family, the GPHC will not condone hearsay claims that are often peddled by third-party accounts of events to discredit our staff and our institution. Our team continues to work diligently to provide the highest quality of medical care to the people of Guyana.

While the entirety of this patient’s details will not be divulged to the press, in the interest of doctor-patient confidentiality, and the Hospital’s general policy of not disclosing our patient’s medical history unless required by law, the family members of the patient in question were duly informed pre- and postoperatively of his management and care.

The GPHC again extends its condolences to the family in their time of bereavement and remains available to the patient’s family to answer any questions or concerns.