Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr Vindhya Persaud has promised to provide help to grieving family members of the mother who lost her life and that of her newborn at the hands of negligent healthcare workers at the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital.
After giving birth to her fourth child at the New Amsterdam Hospital on February 26, 31-year-old Vanessa Lewis-Sahadeo was transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GHPC) in an unconscious state where she succumbed a few hours later.
She was rushed to the city medical facility after reportedly developing complications at the New Amsterdam Hospital where the newborn baby had died.
Family members have since alleged that the woman’s death is more than an accident and they have been calling for tougher penalties against the three medical professionals who have since been found to be negligent. The two nurses were suspended while the doctor has reportedly returned to Cuba.
They have staged several picketing exercises and today, they continued with those actions – this time at Port Mourant where Minister Persaud was attending an event.
The protestors stood outside of the St Francis Community Developer’s building hoping to get an audience with the Cabinet member who took some time to meet with the grieving relatives.
Speaking to reporters, she said “Like them I am very concerned because this government cares very deeply about the lives of mothers and the children and we want to get to a point where no mother or no child’s life is lost.”
“I assured them that the events which transpired, I will take to the Cabinet and also the Minister of Health and we should have a thorough professional and unbiased investigation to determine what were the sequence of events and why that young mother lost her life.”
“From the Ministry and directly we will be helping with the children because the grandparents have to raise those children so, we are looking at how we can get public assistance or get them into the Foster Care Program,” the Minister added.
“..and also help with some resources to get them into school. We will be helping quietly because it is a tragic situation and I do not believe anyone should have to suffer that level all of loss. I believe once an investigation is done, whatever outcome is it will help the family to be a little more at ease knowing what happened.”
