GPHC mum that “faulty C-section lands young mom in ICU”

Jul 02, 2014 Peeping Tom

It is not clear whether the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation has launched an investigation into claims made by a Mabaruma woman that a faulty caesarean procedure done at the institution has landed her daughter in the Intensive Care Unit.

This was reportedly after she delivered a healthy baby boy on May 23, last.

Denika Hernandez’s intestines were reportedly damaged after the doctor who delivered her child “went too deep” whilst suturing the incision from the Caesarean section and mistakenly involved the woman’s intestines. She has since been hospitalized in a critical but stable condition in the critical care ward as doctors try to do corrective surgery.

When asked yesterday as to whether an investigation has been launched into the claims made by the young woman’s mother, Simone Hernandez, that the doctor who operated on her daughter “damaged” her, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Khan would only say that a press release regarding the situation was already sent out.

However, the release said nothing with regard to the accusation made by the older Hernandez.

The hospital press release states, “It is unfortunate that the reporters did not find it necessary to contact Management of the Hospital for a comment/explanation to ascertain the events that pertain to this case.The patient was referred to GPHC by a hinterland hospital because of complications during her pregnancy. On arrival she was found to be very anaemic and was rushed for a surgical emergency when it became evident that the unborn baby was experiencing difficulties.

The patient was discharged nine days later and she returned to her home. About a week later, she was subsequently re-admitted to GPHC.”

The release further added that “Doctors report that the patient is stable and her condition is being closely monitored in the ICU.”

The only investigation mentioned in the release was that of a breach of internal security at the ICU when a reporter misrepresented to the staff that he was a family member and took photographs of the young mother.

Simone Hernandez in an interview with this newspaper yesterday explained that no one from the GPHC offered her an explanation about her daughter’s case except for the doctor who is currently looking after her.

“The doctor said that they are draining her intestines right now so she is feeding on saline. She would only move her head when we talk to her because she cannot talk or move around,” the mother said, while adding that she is taking care of her daughter’s baby boy.

The mother had explained to this newspaper that there were no complications during the actual delivery, but her daughter developed a fever the same day she was discharged from the hospital which was nine days after she gave birth.

The mother said that the fever was later accompanied by persistent vomiting and excruciating pain.

The young Hernandez endured this for five days as “we thought it was a side effect to it being her first child and because she delivered by C-section.”

Kaieteur News understands that it was only when the pain became “more than her,” that the young mother was taken to the Mabaruma Hospital.
At that facility, the woman was reportedly told that she just needed blood and that she would have been better after that. The older Hernandez claims that her daughter was also told by the doctor that the pain was due to the healing process of the surgery, but was kept in the hospital for observation.
By then her stomach had begun to bloat and she was reportedly examined by another doctor who instructed that the young mother be sent to Georgetown for advanced medical attention.
After being examined at GPHC’s Accident and Emergency Unit, the young woman was placed in Ward E where she remained until after she had a CT scan and ultra sound done.
The older Hernandez told this publication that medical professionals then informed her that her daughter had developed a pelvic abscess which had begun to turn gangrenous.
As a result, the young mother was made to undergo a second surgical process three Tuesdays ago and subsequently had to do a blood transfusion. Then, two Sundays ago, the patient’s mother was contacted and informed that her daughter would have to be taken for another (third) surgery.
The mother recalled, “They call me and say how me daughter was at a critical state and they needed to buss back de cut, but when I go I see she had a new cut so now me child get three cuts, one under she belly and two down she chest.”
The young mother was then facing a situation where her faeces was escaping through the perforations in her intestines and therefore began to poison her; hence the ensuing bouts of fever, pain and vomiting.
Hernandez said, “De CT Scan and ultra sound show that she intestine bore up bad.”
The family is of the belief that the doctor knew that something had gone wrong since she did not sign on the form indicating that she delivered the baby.
“On the chart they had a line ‘delivered by:’ and she only put doctor, she didn’t sign. When we asked her name, she refused to give us. Then they call us in a meeting to tell we that is de baby de defecate in her and that she has an infection that they don’t know and will never know what it is.”

Simone Hernandez is currently taking care of her daughter’s baby until she recovers.