An investigation has been launched into the death of a 24-year-old mother and her newborn at the New Amsterdam Hospital in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Dead are Devi Samaroo of Bloomfield Village and her second child – a baby girl; they both died hours apart and the family is devastated – not only at the sudden deaths but the atrocious treatment they had to endure from the nurses and doctors there.
A brief statement provided by the Regional Chairman David Armogan noted: “The New Amsterdam Regional Hospital regrets to inform the public that there has been a maternal death. The investigation has commenced and is currently awaiting the post mortem. The public will continue to be informed.”
The woman’s 28-year-old husband Sunil Partab told the News Room that he and Devi have been married for eight years now and have a six-year-old daughter.
According to him, on October 28, his wife had a fever and vomiting and so he took her to the Port Mourant Hospital where she was given two injections and some saline. Sunil said he asked if the injections were safe given the fact that his wife was heavily pregnant and he was assured of same.
She was discharged the same day and returned home, however, the following day – on Friday night – she fell ill again and it appears as if she was in labour even though she wasn’t due for another two weeks.
The family took her to New Amsterdam Hospital where she was subsequently admitted and the medical professionals assured that the baby’s heartbeat and the mother’s pressure level were normal.
Devi’s mother Mahendrawattie Shewnauth said the doctors indicated that she had dilated to just four cm, and so, the family went home with the hope that Devi would have given birth on Saturday, October 30 but instead, they got the shock of their lives.
When Mahendrawattie returned the Saturday morning, she was prevented by the nurses from seeing or speaking with Devi.
“Dem do come out and say she gone in and me can’t talk with she and they collected the bag from me that me bring. They told me to wait to collect back the bag and about an hour later, a nurse ask me who I want to speak to and me tell dem Devi Samaroo and she said I can’t see her.”
The distraught mother went back home and returned for the lunch time visit during which she heard a baby crying. She said a woman who was also waiting to see someone, told her that Devi had given birth and that it was her baby that was crying.
Sometime after, when Mahendrawattie got the chance to see her daughter, she was told that the baby had died; no other explanations were provided.
She asked to see the body but was also prevented from doing so by the nurses.
At that point, they were not being told anything as it relates to the death of the infant and worry grew as the family was now concerned about the health of Devi.
“The doctor or nurses na say nothing, how the baby dead, nothing.”
DEATH OF DEVI
Already in mourning, the family got the shock of their lives when they returned to the hospital on Sunday morning (October 31st) and learned that Devi had died.
“Me go lil bit after 6:00am and me go to the labour room and then dem tell me to go to ward three and when me go ward three, the door lock down and dem tell me seh how a gyal just dead.
“Up to now me na get to see my daughter. They keep locking the door, dem ah come out and ask we something and then dem ah go in back and lock the door and me na able stand up because me hear that the gyal dead,” the mother said through tears.
Devi’s grieving husband said he asked the nurses who the doctor was that delivered the baby but they refused to say.
He said he “begged” to see his baby girl and waited for hours until they eventually allowed him to get a glance of his child who was already sent to the mortuary.
According to Sunil, doctors told them that Devi died just around 05:15hrs after she haemorrhage.
“After the porter put she in mortuary, when me go mortuary, blood deh all over pon she and the bed sheet and she was naked in the ward, we had to go and cover her up.”
Sunil and the rest of the family are demanding justice for the deaths and have accused the hospital’s management of negligence.
“If they would have talked to us in the first place since the baby dead we wudda been more understanding but when you go there to do something you have to beg like dog there,” the grieving husband lamented.
The New Amsterdam Hospital continues to rack up maternal deaths and even though the authorities claim that investigations are conducted, there are no updates provided on the findings of those investigations or whether any action is taken.
