Autopsy still to be done on Shieldstown baby

A young couple who last weekend accused the New Amsterdam Public Hospital of negligence following the death of their newborn, is now worried about a possible “cover up” by the health institution, since they are still waiting a post-mortem examination.

Nandram Gopaul, 21, had called for an investigation to be launched to ascertain exactly what led to his baby’s death. 

Gopaul had said that his wife was told the baby defecated in her and had also ingested some of it, resulting in attendants having to “pump it out back,” the man related. “Them say the thing been where she (baby) lungs deh but them try and couldn’t do anything because the baby end up and [defecate] in she because it take long to deliver,” he had added.

However, yesterday, a frustrated Gopaul told Stabroek News that he is being given the royal runaround as he awaits an autopsy.

He explained that he was told that the autopsy would be done on Monday, however, after arriving in New Amsterdam on Monday and waiting for several hours, he was told to return the following day.

The man said that he was told yesterday that the autopsy could not be done, since they were waiting on a particular doctor. “Them a tell me hold on, hold on and me a wait, wait and then them a tell me come back next day,” he recalled.

According to Gopaul, after not getting a proper answer from the New Amsterdam Public Hospital yesterday, he ventured over to the office of the Director of Regional Health Services, Jevaughn Stephens, where, after waiting for the director to arrive at his office, he was told that the post-mortem will be done today.