Still to get official word about the findings of an investigation into the death of Corentyne mother Vanessa Lewis-Sahadeo, who died last month after alleged negligence by medical officials, her family angry yesterday staged a protest across the street from the New Amsterdam Public Hospital to call for justice.
Although Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has announced the suspension of a doctor and two nurses as a result of the investigation, it was only after yesterday’s protest that Lewis-Sahadeo’s family heard from Regional Chairman David Armogan that the suspended doctor was sent back to Cuba, while the two nurses remain suspended pending a further investigation.
Lewis-Sahadeo’s parents, Eric Lewis, 62, and Claris Lewis, 53, along with the dead woman’s three daughters, who are ages 11, 9 and 6, and other relatives protested for several hours. They called for the removal of Regional Health Officer Vishalya Sharma and for “justice to be served” for the death of both Lewis-Sahadeo and her baby girl, whom she had delivered the day before she died.
Eric told Stabroek News that the family decided to take to the streets after officials became quiet about the entire situation following the suspension of one doctor and two nurses. However, he stressed, that a suspension is not “justice” in their eyes.
The man, who stood next to his wife and three granddaughters with placards, said that the officials up to yesterday had still not identified to relatives who were the persons found negligent and who were those suspended. “Up to now them na put it on paper. Them na tell we nothing”, the father said, while reiterating that he was informed through the media and friends of the suspensions following the investigation.
The man further pointed out that Sahadeo’s three daughters are now left without a mother and as a result they should be compensated for their loss. “They got to do something… Me daughter go in strong, strong. You clip she bladder, she womb come out just to get one baby?” he noted.
Eric was also angry at regional officials, whom he said dissuaded the family from going ahead with a planned protest before Lewis-Sahadeo was buried. “When we suppose to protest the Monday before my daughter bury, the Chairman [Armogan] and [Veerasammy] Ramayya call and say if we can call off the protest, that them go come and deal with us, let we not frighten but they only just bluff we,” he said.
“After me daughter bury they never come back,” he added.
The father added that Ramayya had told them that President Irfaan Ali had instructed him to carry out an investigation but that when he visited the hospital and asked to see certain documents he was informed by Sharma that he could not access same. “How the president send him to investigate and he can’t get it?” the father questioned.
Armogan yesterday visited the protest and he told reporters present that after he heard of the ongoing protest he decided to head over to “see what the problem is.”
After speaking for a few seconds with each parent and others on the protest line, he stated, “I know that these people are very angry because they lost their daughter and they lost a grandchild too and so the entire community is with them. They want answers so we will have to be able to provide answers to them.”
Armogan suggested that someone from Georgetown who was a part of the investigation team would have to visit Berbice and “explain to them what exactly went wrong.”
However, questioned why this would be done only after a protest, Armogan said, “The administration took action basically… I don’t know why they haven’t come to explain to them but what I know is that action was taken. The doctor was sent overseas, he went back to Cuba and two of the nurses who were working at the ward at that time they are on suspension pending further investigation.”
Missing phone
Meanwhile, questioned about Lewis-Sahadeo’s phone, which relatives had claimed that both Sharma and Armogan had informed them would be handed over, Armogan said that “I don’t think that they [health officials] have it.” He then noted, that at the regional level they had offered to “pay for the phone.”
Lewis-Sahadeo’s mother, Claris, yesterday pointed out once again that the Regional Health Officer, Sharma, had offered $100,000 to relatives to compensate for the loss of the device despite it being worth $50,000. However, relatives have refused to accept any amount of cash from the regional officials since they believe that Lewis-Sahadeo’s phone may have some sort of evidence. Relatives had told Stabroek News that Lewis-Sahadeo and a nurse had a previous issue and there were screenshots in her phone of alleged threats made. The relatives had also said, that they believe that Lewis-Sahadeo who was known to document her every experience, may have done a recording while in the ward and/or labour room.
Both parents pointed out yesterday that the money belonging to the dead woman, which they also say is missing, was intended for nurses for a successful delivery. “She say she would a give them nurse a $15,000 who help she out”, her father added yesterday.
Meanwhile, Armogan, when further pressed, confirmed that after being informed by Sharma he had indeed told the family that the phone was located and would be returned to them. “I was at the family and the RHO indeed called me and said to me, nobody can deny that… And so I told the family that the report I’m getting here now is that the phone has been found and then subsequently when the people went to collect that was another story that it was never found”, he said.
He pointed out that although the police in the region were called in to investigate the matter, the phone still could not be located.
Claris had previously told Stabroek News that Dr. Sharma while present at the home of relatives phoned someone and told them to place the phone and other belongings in a drawer for her to uplift and hand over to relatives but this was never done.
Mortality and Morbidity Committee resuscitated
Additionally, Armogan yesterday told the media that due to the case the region has since resuscitated the Mortality and Morbidity Committee in Region Six, which ultimately means that every death at hospitals must be reported. “There was a breakdown in protocol and that is perhaps why we ended up in this situation,” he said yesterday.
“We recognise that there are issues in the health system, we recognise that protocols perhaps were not being followed in all the cases and so the time has now come for us to institute all this measures to ensure that our system is back up and running,” he added.
Armogan was also questioned about a Letter Kenny Village, Corentyne woman who three hours after giving birth on March, 3, at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital was informed that her baby had died. Armogan said he would try to get some information on the case and get back to the media but stressed that “We can’t continue like this. The hospital will virtually close itself down if we continue like this… We need to ensure we put systems in place to ensure that people are safe when they come to the hospital.”
Meanwhile, also joining yesterday’s protest was former mayor of Rose Hall Town Vijay Kumar Ramu, who told Stabroek News that he could not believe the present situation and the lack of interest from health officials in dealing with the affected relatives.
Ramu, who had known Lewis-Sahadeo since she was a child, yesterday said, “I hope that justice would prevail and I hope that some type of compensation can be given to her children to survive.”
Ramu, who operates a funeral parlour in the Corentyne Area, added, “The inhumane treatment of nurses to patients is unbelievable. I can imagine what the mother went through there. This should be an eye opener for the government and the health department. This is very bad and wouldn’t be accepted in any other country and played down like this.”
He then opined that “a lot of cover up is happening” as he stressed, “I hope the government and the Ministry of Health see the necessary justice and put a closure to this matter.”
