Dear Editor,
During the course of last week Minister of Public Health, Dr George Norton mentioned that he will ensure that justice is served to mothers who lost their babies as a consequence of malpractice or the negligence of healthcare professionals. However, from my perspective, every second that passes, another mother and child are placed at risk.
Please allow me to bring to the forefront two cases where an immediate investigation should commence, and if negligence is established, those responsible should be sanctioned.
Firstly, there is the case of Teresa Lalltoo, the 30-year-old mother of one, who lost her second child after what were described as bad calls made by both doctors and nurses. She went through a full-term of pregnancy, and was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital after experiencing severe pain, and was seen by nurses who were hesitant about providing her with care. This escalated throughout the course of her stay at the hospital when not only was she given oxytocin drips although there was a lack of theatre staff, should there be a worst case scenario, but her water bag was clipped without the consent of a physician. It was apparent also that while having all of this done, one of the doctors had expressed his interest in her condition, even up to the point of calling it an “experiment” because she was not experiencing pain even when on the drips. Clipping her water bag marked the beginning of greater problems, since the umbilical cord presented itself first, getting lodged in the vagina and causing a cord prolapse leading to a diminished supply of blood to her baby.
Noting this emergency, and knowing well that there was a lack of theatre staff on such a day at what was supposed to be a premier health institution, the doctors were still hesitant to transfer her to the Georgetown Public Hospital. It was not until her unborn baby was in a dire state that they decided to have her transferred, but by the time she arrived, it was too late. Her baby had succumbed due to an inadequate supply of blood. Her tragedy did not end there as she was then put in a position where she had to give birth to a dead baby, followed by being placed on a ward full of happy mothers who were successful in giving birth as well as having to share a bed with another mother. This had dire psychological effects on her, yet still no investigation was done.
Secondly, it is indeed sad how the previous administration failed Natalie Caseley, who continues to fight for justice for her four-year-old son, Jaden Mars, who died at the Georgetown Public Hospital over one year ago. The toddler was merely taken to the hospital for a few stitches after biting his tongue following a fall, but died after spending six days on life support. For such a simple case, death should not have been the outcome, causing Ms Caseley to strongly believe that her son may have been overdosed or the right procedures may not have been undertaken. Ms Caseley has been campaigning against those responsible for her child’s death, constantly reiterating the prevalence of negligence by the health sector which is being overlooked on too many occasions.
I have campaigned with both Teresa Lalltoo and Natalie Caseley through social media and picketing exercises, from which I conclude that these mothers are determined and eager for justice to be served in a timely manner. Both parties had submitted written reports to the Chief Medical Officer; however, the excuse was always that reports had not been submitted by hospital or that the issue was still being investigated. This inefficiency is inexcusable especially when dealing with human lives.
In closing, I wish to acknowledge Kaieteur News and Stabroek News for covering these cases in their various news reports and being at the forefront in publicizing them. I also thank in advance the Minister of Public Health and his team for picking these cases up and working assiduously to allow justice to prevail.
Yours faithfully,
Dave Lalltoo
