Dear Editor,
Permit me to pen my opinion by firstly taking umbrage at the statement made by GPHC Chief Executive Officer Brigadier George Lewis, following the birth landing on a hospital floor of a newborn. In my numerous comments pertinent to issues regarding Obstetrics and the conduct of same, I have made it absolutely clear that displays of gross negligence on the part of the personnel, should be of grave concern to the gravid population, but above all to the General Nurses Council. The Brigadier inferred that the incident would be investigated with the focus of putting systems in place to ensure there is no such recurrence. Needless to say, the making of such a move on his slate is a gesture far too late. Already in place should be policies and procedures governing women during each stage of labour, especially the second stage which involves the expulsion of the baby from the birth canal. One respected author states: “This indeed is the unforgiving stage of labor, and in it there lurks more unheralded treachery than in both the other stages combined. It is a well-known and equally well –documented worldwide fact that in the transition phase i.e first to second stage of labour, women describe the feeling and pressure as a strong urge to have a bowel movement.
The Brigadier also said that should any hospital staff be found guilty of negligence, his department will enforce the full brunt of the law that surrounds discipline in an incident of that nature. Regrettably, such a remark is open to humour and ridicule, and in some way highlights his lack of knowledge of previous unfortunate events in the Obstetrics Department of the Georgetown Public Hospital.
In a similar incident but one which nevertheless involves both a newborn and a fall, on November 3, 2015 baby Azim Balgobin, fell from his cot just one hour after his birth. The parents in a $20 million lawsuit sued GPHC for negligence as a result of the acts and/or omissions of servants and/or agents of the Defendant. The lawsuit, stated that GPHC failed to adequately and properly monitor the Plaintiff after birth; failed to take any adequate and proper precaution for safety of the Plaintiff and exposed the plaintiff to injuries which could have otherwise been avoided by reasonable care. A conducted CT scan revealed that the baby suffered multiple injuries as a result of the said fall. The baby underwent surgery as a consequence.
On or around 10.00 p. m August 23, 2016, Nyesha Hamilton arrived at the Georgetown Hospital in labour. A vaginal examination conducted on arrival by the doctor, confirmed labour and a cervical dilation of 5 centimeters. Shortly after the patient started bleeding, and upon informing the nurses, was told that the two doctors who examined her previously said she had not “reached 10 cm yet,” and she would have to wait another four hours before it was time to have the baby. I strongly question the source or the transmitter of such obstetrical information, as there is no scientific hard and fast rule for how long the latent and active phases last in women.
The rate of cervical dilation is also dependent on the parity (whether it is the first baby or not). Mothers who have delivered a baby before tend to move more quickly through labour, and some women will simply progress more quickly than others. Additionally others may “stall” at a certain stage, and then dilate very quickly.
Following the bleeding Nyesha said , “I feel meh water bag burst. The baby went coming down and I call for the nurses.” However, she was told that there were no wheelchairs available and as such would have to walk to the labour room. “Two steps away from the door to the labour room, I feel like I couldn’t walk anymore so I stoop down, and I feel the baby fall on the ground and knock he head on the right hand side,” the mother said. The mother further recounted that on seeing the baby on the floor, she was told to pick her baby up, as the nurses refused to do same.
The mother further stated that after the incident, the nurses proceeded to act as if nothing had happened, and did not give the baby a check-up. It was only after the baby’s head started swelling the next day, that it was discovered that he had suffered a fractured skull. Hamilton was later informed that the fracture would take up to six weeks to heal. The entire incident was investigated by Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shamdeo Persaud. Legal action was also taken against the hospital.
I sincerely hope that GPHC’s Chief Executive Officer Lewis is aware of these occurrences, for as stated in Kaieteur News an investigation into the current incident is being carried out with the focus of putting systems in place to ensure there is no such recurrence. No systems, just dedicated knowledgeable personnel. It is blatantly apparent through their behaviours and actions that some midwives no longer possess a caring attitude as an element of their professional practice and have ignored ethics by offending mothers’ sense of dignity. Support in labour has an impact on the childbirth experience as well as on childbirth outcomes. Women give great importance to the relationship with their midwife as a cornerstone of their childbearing event. The core competence of midwifery practices are knowledge, psychomotor skills, decision making and communication abilities essential to midwifery.
After the fall, comes the call —- for the investigating party/parties to deal condignly with the obstetrical miscreant thereby restoring dignity to the profession. The message is clear – all mothers should deliver in the absence of fear, thereby making birth an occasion of mirth.
Yours faithfully,
Yvonne Sam
(Retired Charge Nurse (Obstetrics)
