An investigation is underway at the New Amsterdam Hospital, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), following a stillbirth delivery on New Year’s Day.
This was confirmed by Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy who added that once there is a death of an infant at any medical facility, an automatic investigation is done by the institution.
In addition, he noted that the report of the findings must be submitted to the Chief Medical Office (CMO) who will then determine if he is satisfied or request an external investigation. However, Dr Ramsammy noted that he was not sure about the status of the investigation up to late Tuesday evening.
Health officials had reported around mid-afternoon on January 1, 2022, that there were five newborns and two others were in the delivery room.
It was later reported to the media that the Hospital had six New Year babies and all the deliveries went well. However, one mother subsequently stated that she had in fact delivered a stillbirth.
The mother, Lisa Rambarran, believes her daughter’s life could have been saved had the health professionals at the institution paid more attention to her during her time spent at the medical facility.
Rambarran, 21, of Number 72 Village, Berbice, travelled to the New Amsterdam Hospital on December 31, 2021, after complaining of feeling unwell. She was 40 weeks pregnant and due to give birth on January 10.
Upon her arrival, she was reportedly advised to return the following day but after the woman explained that she travelled close to 50 miles to get to New Amsterdam, a decision was taken to admit her.
Sometime after midnight, Rambarran went into labour and she did not deliver her baby until 16:30h on New Year’s Day.
In an interview with this publication, the woman recalled that after giving birth, she did not hear her baby cry but the doctor and nurses quickly exited the room. The woman said she was waiting for some time for the medical team to return to “clean her up” and inform her about the condition of the baby but when they returned, she was informed that the baby had died.
“The baby was very big. The baby was nine pounds five ounces. Compared to other babies that I see, my baby was very big and other girls that had C-sec [Caesarean delivery] and their babies were small compared to mine. Their baby has to come like two times to make my baby size – it was very big.”
Rambarran said she was informed that her baby had ingested meconium which is the first faeces of the newborn. She is of the view that if an ultrasound was done at the time of admission, it would have been known that the unborn child was too large for normal delivery.
“They could have given me a C-sec and that would have pleased me but what I went through I wasn’t pleased,” she said.
The health department in Region Six has been under the microscope after several similar incidents at the maternity department were not reported until the media highlighted them.
Rambarran said she is hurt that she could not even hold the child she carried for nine months even for one minute.
During 2021, there were several similar and related instances. On February 27, Vanessa Lewis-Sahadeo, 31, of Williamsburg, died hours after her newborn. She would have given birth at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
Two nurses and the doctor were punished for alleged negligence in that instance. On March 3, Shanti Devi Suku of Letter Kenny delivered her baby at the New Amsterdam Hospital at about noon and hours later she was told that she had a stillbirth.
In October 2021, a 22-year-old teacher died in the operating theatre moments after giving birth at the New Amsterdam Hospital, and later in that same month, a newborn baby and mother died hours apart at the New Amsterdam Hospital and again, the health department was silent on the issue.
