Angry father blames hospital for daughter’s death

Aug 15, 2010 News

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NUMBER SIXTY VILLAGE, CORENTYNE – Mr. Edwin Debarros, Proprietor of DM&S World of Spice is looking for answers. On Friday, the man claimed that his child, 14-year old daughter Savitri Debarros of Lot 14 ‘B’ Number Sixty Village on the Corentyne, walked into the Skeldon Hospital but never made it out alive.
He feels that his daughter’s death could have been avoided if the medical officials there had acted in a professional manner.
“My daughter walked into the hospital with me and the nurses administered treatment the doctor ordered, that created a seizure and she never recovered. She dead! I want justice!”

Edwin Debarros explained that at 19:30 hours on Wednesday August 11th he took his daughter to the Skeldon Hospital. At the time she was suffering from bouts of wheezing. He said this was not her first attack. On Easter Monday she had suffered her first symptom and was taken to the said medical institution where she was treated by a Cuban National and his wife.
“Whatever they gave her, in 20 minutes time she was perfect and they sent her home. On August 11th she and me walked in the hospital and went up the steps. I told the nurses what was her problem and they asked her to lie on the bed. They gave me the bed sheet and I put in on myself. Then they called the doctor, he living in ‘Donkey City’ (Line Path).”
According to him, the doctor was on call and arrived at the hospital at 21:30 hours. Before the doctor’s arrival, intravenous drip was administered to the teenager.
“The drips went into her hand. The nurse bore the bag and added some other medication with a syringe. I saw my daughter getting stiff. She went into a seizure. She never had a fit before and is not epileptic.”
At this point DeBarros began questioning the nurses and insisted that they call out the doctor.
“I started to talk up after they say the doctor at Donkey City. I say, how the doctor at Donkey City when he suppose to be here?”
The man said he kept asking the nurses why they were administering treatment to his daughter in the absence of the doctor.
“By then, the doctor appeared in an ordinary pants and shirt, so I didn’t know he was the doctor. All the time I was talking up and he walked past me and went to the ward and called the police. I later learnt from the Corporal that the doctor told the police that a drunk man took a woman there. I don’t drink and I don’t smoke. Three police men arrived, one with a machine gun and two in plain clothes.”
Mr. Debarros said that the police rank in uniform subsequently instructed him to leave the premises. “All the time my daughter was there with only the saline bag.” After the ranks departed, he returned and apologized to the doctor. According to him, that was the only way he would have been permitted to re-enter the hospital.
“I went to my daughter. I saw her lying down just staring and lifeless, not responding. I kept holding her and praying. I told the doctor she is getting worst and the doctor said to me I am trying to play a doctor. I said nothing and he put me out again.”
Mr. Debarros said he did not see the need to inform the hospital personnel that his daughter was diabetic since her ailment was not related to diabetes. Savitri Debarros was diagnosed with Type One Diabetes three months ago and is insulin dependent.
“They trained her at the Georgetown Hospital for two weeks on how to take her insulin and how to test her sugar. She even has a machine with the strips to do the tests.”
The man said that he decided to seek help elsewhere about midnight and enquired if he could get some assistance to transport the child to the New Amsterdam Hospital.
According to Mr. Debarros the said doctor told him that transportation could be arranged but the family is doing so at their own risk.
“I asked him how long the ambulance would be here and he said any time. The ambulance never came till 8:30 the next morning (Thursday). When the ambulance come I asked if they would put her in the ambulance and the nurse said they would do all of that and I must go to the New Amsterdam Hospital to know which ward.”
He took the lead and began the journey before the ambulance departed. Thirty minutes later, after realizing the ambulance did not pass him he made a telephone call to his home, which is situated on the Corentyne Highway.
“I asked them if the ambulance pass. They said yes and it pass and it turned back and gone back to the Skeldon Hospital. I turned back and headed home where I saw a big crowd. I was told that a porter from the hospital called and say she is dead and was placed in the mortuary. I shot down to the hospital where I met the porters and they told me they ‘secured her properly’ for me.”
He said he attempted to contact several officials, both at the Regional level and at the Ministry of Health but to no avail. He even tried to seek an appointment with the Prime Minister and President of Guyana but was unsuccessful.”
The father in seeking justice, said he does not believe that fair dealing would prevail.
“After calling all in authority, Mr. Merai who is in charge of the police in Berbice contacted me while I was talking to you (reporter) on the phone today (Friday) and he told me that he got a report that I threaten to burn down the hospital and kill the doctor. I told him I never threaten anyone.”
Since the tragedy, the child’s mother Mrs. Sursattie Debarros has been withdrawn. “She is crying all the time. She is getting blackout all the time and is not communicating with anyone.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Debarros claims that officials at the Skeldon Hospital are trying to cover up five cases where persons died under mysterious circumstances, all of whom were treated by the said doctor who he is holding responsible for his daughter’s death.
Chief Executive Officer of the Berbice Regional Health Authority Dr. Vishwa Mahadeo said that a post mortem examination was arranged for yesterday at the Skeldon Hospital. Based on the findings, an investigation would be launched by both the Berbice Regional Health Authority and the Ministry of Health.
To calm the man, Dr. Brijmohan was willing to perform the post mortem examination on 14-year-old Savitri Debarros yesterday Saturday. All arrangements were put in place and he along with his assistant arrived at the Skeldon Hospital morgue at 07:55 hours. No relative of Savitri Debarros showed up. Dr. Bridjmohan waited for one hour before departing hence the autopsy was not performed.
According to the pathologist, Mr. Debarros made several accusations and threats. The Pathologist recalled that the man informed him that he was incarcerated before and does not mind going back to jail.
Based on information Dr. Bridjmohan received, Savitri Debarros was a known diabetic. At the time of admission, her blood sugar level was said to be 370. After the drips were set up and the medication began acting, the child’s kidneys started failing with an increase in blood pressure. He said it appears that the girl’s condition was not being properly monitored or that she was not taking her medication as recommended. A child her age or a normal person’s blood sugar level should range between 80 and 120. The 370 figure reading for Savitri Debarros was said to be comatose stage.
The pathologist said that a porter reported to him that Mr. Debarros, on the day of his daughter’s death, armed himself with a piece of wood and wanted to physically harm the doctor in question. (Melissa Johnson)

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