A woman who was carrying twins lost one of them yesterday and it is being suggested that this may have been as a result of her being compelled to work despite warnings by her clinic about complications that could arise.
In recent months a number of women and their babies have died in the public health care system following complications that arose during their pregnancies and caesarean surgeries.
In a statement, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) said it yesterday recorded four uneventful Caesarean Section (C-Section) deliveries and a fifth mother delivered one while the other baby was a stillbirth.
GPHC said that due to a quick response by a team of doctors and nurses led by Dr. Lucio Pedro, Head of the Gynecology and Obstetrics Department, the 27 year old mother and her baby are now recovering in the Maternity Ward at the hospital. The mother is in the Caesarean Section Room while the infant is in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
The release said that the Buxton resident who was due to deliver twins in February 2016, started experiencing severe pains while at work on Monday. She was rushed to the GPHC where she was diagnosed with placental abruption, i.e. separation of the placenta from the wall of the womb during pregnancy.
She was immediately transferred to the Main Operating Theatre of the GPHC where doctors managed to resuscitate one of the babies, the release said.
The mother who works at a popular clothing store attended Antenatal Clinic at the Ann’s Grove Health Centre on the East Coast where she was advised to discontinue work for a few months until the babies were born.
“There she was forewarned about the complications she is likely to develop during her pregnancy from extensive fatigue. Her employers however refused to comply with the request; hence forcing her to stay on the job”, the release said.
In an invited comment, Public Health Minister, Dr. George Norton said that it was unfortunate that one of the twins died. He expressed disappointment and disgust that employers, particularly in the private sector, fail to recognise the danger of pregnant mothers not adhering to recommendations and advice given by their physicians.
He further said that the Ministry of Public Health will seek to probe and implement laws to penalize employers who openly disregard the medical advice given to, and conditions of their employees.
