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CMO decision likely by tomorrow

May 14, 2010 News

A preliminary report into the recent maternal death at the West Demerara Regional Hospital suggests that the patient, Waheeda Basil, of De Willem, West Coast Demerara, may have succumbed due to underlying cardiac problems which may have gone unrecognised.
This disclosure was made yesterday by Chief Medical Officer, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, who noted that though the patient was 38 years of age, it appears that there was no detection of the condition during the course of her pregnancy. However, the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) has asserted that this conclusion can only be ascertained after a thorough investigation into the matter concludes.
He is currently in possession of the preliminary report from the West Demerara Hospital, but according to him, the Hospital’s Committee is still investigating the matter.
According to Dr Persaud, hospital officials had informed him of the death 24 hours after it occurred and had subsequently furnished him with the report. He revealed yesterday that he is still reviewing the report and expects to get a final report on the matter by today. And once the final report is consistent with that of the preliminary report, Dr Persaud disclosed that he will be taking his views to Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy.
This newspaper understands that the CMO will be required to determine whether the findings offered by the hospital’s committee are acceptable and he has the authority to recommend an external investigation should he find the findings unacceptable.
However, other than acknowledging that he is reviewing the report, Dr Persaud said that he will refrain from commenting further on the matter until it would have gained the attention of the Minister of Health. He expects to forward his views to the minister by tomorrow.
Minister Ramsammy had revealed that the Chief Medical Officer will have seven days at the least to peruse the report before deciding if there is a need for an external investigation. And according to the Minister “I am allowing the CMO to do his work. I don’t want to interfere as it is…I haven’t even read the report but I am aware the CMO has it and he has seven days to deal with this matter.”
The West Demerara Hospital was tasked with carrying out an investigation in the death of the 38-year-old woman who succumbed sometime after 18:00 hours last week Thursday after giving birth to a healthy baby boy. This newspaper was reliably informed that the woman, who was previously a patient of the Meten-Meer-Zorg Health Centre, was advised to travel to the West Demerara Regional Hospital after experiencing labour pains the same day.  The woman was so advised, this newspaper learnt, because her delivery was even then seen as a high-risk one, a situation which was hinged on the fact that she had last given birth some 13 years ago and she was very obese.
Accompanied by her husband Deonarine Basil, the woman was admitted to the Regional Hospital and reports are that she safely gave birth to her third child. However, it was revealed that shortly after giving birth, the woman started complaining of dizziness and died before the source of her dilemma could be ascertained.
A source close to the operation of the hospital revealed that the woman bled for nearly one hour before a doctor who was summoned arrived to attend to her. However, a senior official at the hospital in an invited comment had assured that “everything that could have been done was done to save this woman’s life. The husband was there and he knows that the nurses and the doctors did everything that was possible.”
A post mortem examination was carried out on the woman’s remains last week Friday and she was laid to rest on Saturday at the Meten-Meer-Zorg cemetery.

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