A father, distressed by the death of his seven-month-old daughter on Wednesday night, stormed into the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) verbally abusing staff yesterday afternoon, the hospital said.
Cleo Liverpool, of Lot 1079 ‘A’ Field Sophia, Georgetown was taken to the Accident and Emergency Room (A&E) by her mother, Iona O’Neal on Wednesday at about 08:50 am and was seen by the Triage Nurse immediately, GPH said in a press release yesterday. O’Neal explained that the child had difficulty breathing due to a cold.
A&E doctors, according to the hospital release, initially diagnosed the child with Respiratory Distress due to Meningitis and Sepsis and stated that she was in a critical state. Liverpool was admitted to the Paediatric Ward at about 1.10pm and was seen by Dr. Aaron, who reported that Liverpool was under close watch because of the condition, initially diagnosed, for which she was admitted. Dr. Aaron, according to GPH, also reported that the child’s parents were advised by Paediatric Consultant, Dr. Zamara around 2pm on Wednesday that the child had been diagnosed with Congenital Cyanotic heart disease.
O’Neal left the hospital some time after 8 pm to purchase pampers for her child. Liverpool died in her mother’s absence, at about 9 pm and O’Neal was informed of her child’s death after she returned. Dr. Aaron, the hospital said, reported that there was a collaborative effort to save the child’s life, “but the prolonged complications from which she suffered led to her demise”.
Yesterday the child’s father, Dirk Liverpool, approached nurses and the Paediatric Ward doctor “in an aggressive manner and demanded to see the results of an X-ray that was done and the cause of the child’s death”.
At this time, the doctor was doing ‘rounds’ and as such, could not entertain the parent at the said time. It was reported that the upset father was not satisfied with the response he received and was not willing to wait for the doctor to complete her rounds.
Liverpool, the hospital reported, stormed into the ward and verbally abused the nurses and the medical practitioner using “very threatening language”.
Hospital security was immediately informed and as Dirk was being removed he reportedly threatened to return and “do what he has to if he doesn’t get answers for his
child’s death.”
The hospital release explained that, “It must be noted that it is not the hospital’s policy to reveal X-rays to relatives, but only to explain what the results may be. This is the case, because of the complex nature of the said X-ray which cannot be accurately read by untrained individuals.
Additionally, a cause of death cannot be determined without a post-mortem examination being done”.
Dirk, GPH reported, visited their mortuary to witness the post-mortem examination; but arrived late and was advised to return on Monday. The hospital extended condolences to the family/relatives of the deceased.
Stabroek News made several efforts to contact O’Neal and Dirk Liverpool via telephone but was unsuccessful.
