Family claims neglect at two Berbice hospitals caused death of Corentyne man

Relatives of 50-year-old Amin Azad Talip of Johns, East Berbice Corentyne, believe his death was a direct consequence of the negligence of healthcare workers at the Port Mourant and New Amsterdam Public hospitals.

Talip died on Sunday, December 13, on his way to the New Amsterdam hospital.

According to his brother, Feroze Talip, the now dead man took ill on December 3 and complained at the time of severe abdominal pains coupled with vomiting.

He was taken to a private doctor in Region Six, who treated him for the pain before referring him for an ultrasound. Talip continued to experience the symptoms when he arrived at the Port Mourant hospital on December 4, the brother related.

There, he was seen by a doctor, and treated for the pain and once again referred to the New Amsterdam hospital. Relatives were at this point disappointed that although Talip appeared to be an emergency case, he was not treated as such at the Port Mourant hospital.

The brother, in chronicling the events from December 4 to the 13 when Talip died, explained that while at the New Amsterdam hospital, he was also given medication for the pain and instructed to return for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and other lab tests on January 6 and 8, 2021.

“They have the facilities there, why wait? It’s an emergency case. Why not make an attempt to do it right away. A man vomiting blood and you gon give him a date till next year?” he questioned.

Talip told the News Room that his brother made every attempt to use medication that was provided to him, hoping for some relief from the pain.

On Saturday last, his symptoms worsened and by 01:00h on Sunday, he was rushed to the Port Mourant hospital.

“At Port Mourant they give him saline and some more injection for the pain and another paper to get him admitted at New Amsterdam at 8’O clock Sunday morning to receive treatment. We left the hospital at 3’O clock that morning… why them nah send he with the ambulance cause he could have barely move and a vomit blood still,” the distraught brother further related.

The emotional man said a sick Talip left home around 07:00h on Sunday and while en-route to the New Amsterdam hospital, he became motionless and wasn’t responding. This was, however, in close proximity to the Port Mourant hospital.

“We went to the hospital and while we are in the car, the doctor come out and pronounced him dead right in the car. They didn’t even let the porters bring him in or anything.”

The brother said he is disappointed that the medical personnel at the hospital did not admit his brother hours earlier or transported him with an ambulance to the New Amsterdam hospital, given his condition.

He believes that if that was done, his brother’s life could have been saved.

Meanwhile, a senior health official in Region Six confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the allegations. Additionally, the Director of Regional Health Services also visited the family to listen to their concerns.

Following a post mortem examination, it was concluded that Talip died due to multiple organ failure and cancer. The family did not know Talip had cancer and they believe he was unaware as well.  He was laid to rest Wednesday.