Ann’s Grove toddler’s cause of death listed as meningitis

A post-mortem examination performed on two-year old Felicia Baynes, whose parents are questioning George-town Public Hospital’s role in her death, revealed that she died of meningitis, but the hospital is appealing for no finger-pointing until test results are returned.

“…A pronouncement on this death cannot be made at this time, for a post-mortem examination was conducted today, samples have been sent for further testing thus the findings are yet to be released,” the hospital said in a  response to an article that was published yesterday.

However, family members told Stabroek News that they were never informed of any samples being taken from the child or that the hospital was awaiting any test results.

“Well, this is news to me. Because her PM was done today [yesterday] and a certificate given to us that lists her death as [caused by] meningitis. Maybe they are talking about the samples of urine and stuff we took to them, but they never said nothing about it then or now,” said the toddler’s father Fitzroy Baynes.

Further, the man informed that while he is prepared to believe the autopsy results he will wait until a thorough medical analysis has been given from independent medical specialists.

“We are letting things flow at this time and will give them the benefit of the doubt. However we have requested her medical chart and were told we have to wait seven days.

We want the test and samples because we have doctors waiting to analyze them… We want no jiggery pokery let the truth be told,” he said.

Little Felecia fell from a bench at her Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara home on Tuesday and suffered a fever the following day. She subsequently started to vomit and her parents rushed her to the GPH where her condition, within hours, deteriorated.

She underwent head and chest scans which found nothing wrong.

She was admitted a patient to the Intensive Care Unit, where, after a few days, her parents noticed burns on her chest. They said they informed nurses on duty and are still to get a reason for the burns.

The child died shortly before 4 pm last Saturday.