First-time mom blames GPHC for baby’s death

Jan 16, 2012 News

A 21-year-old woman is alleging that the carelessness of the staff at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) may have caused her baby’s death, last Tuesday.
The woman, Francesca Daly, of Lot A 63 East La Penitence, Georgetown was admitted a patient at the hospital’s Maternity Ward on January, 8, last.
According to Daly’s mother, Dillian Wharton, her daughter was required to have a caesarean section since the baby was “too big” to allow for a normal delivery. But Wharton explained that the doctors had to wait for her daughter’s blood pressure to stabilize before the operation could have been undertaken.
“Daly was seen receiving drips and saline to monitor her pressure and delivery,” Wharton claimed.
The mother further explained that along with other family members, she frequently inquired about Daly’s condition and was told by nurses that her blood-pressure was stable.
On Monday (January, 9), however, Wharton explained that her daughter continuously complained of “getting a severe belly pain” but was told by nurses that there were no doctors available.
The distraught woman alleged that her daughter was told by a nurse that if there is one doctor available and if he is in the operation room with a patient, he will not leave that patient to attend to another, no matter what.

Daly, after losing her first baby

Wharton explained that her daughter was left unattended for several hours even though she complained of “feeling the baby pushing to come out.”
Daly was eventually taken into the operation room sometime after midnight, Monday.
At 01:22 hrs last Tuesday morning, Daly gave birth to a stillborn baby.
However Daly’s sister, Angela Dougan, told this publication that they received information that she did not go to the operating theatre until about 03:00 hours .
She stated that when the family approached the doctor to find out the baby’s cause of death, he did not give a clear answer.
“He told us that he is the doctor, he can tell us anything,” Dougan stated.
After continuous efforts were made by the family for an answer and the threatened intervention of the media, the family said that they were finally told that the anesthetic given to assist in Daly’s pregnancy had killed the baby.
Dougan claimed that the baby was “perfectly fine” until the anesthetic was used.
Family members believe that if the hospital had “enough” competent staff the baby would have been saved.
On Thursday this newspaper contacted the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael Khan, who referred all queries to the Director of Medical and Professional Services, Sheik Amir.
That same day efforts were made on two occasions to make contact with Amir at his office but this newspaper could only get as far as his Secretary, who promised to have him return a call.
However this was never done despite further repeated efforts to contact him.