Diamond Hospital accused of improper disposal of foetus - MoPH launches investigation

Diamond Hospital accused of improper disposal of foetus – MoPH launches investigation

Jul 02, 2016 News

The Diamond Diagnostic Centre

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is conducting further investigations into reports of the improper disposal of a foetus at the Diamond Diagnostic Centre on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).
According to reports carried by some sections of the media, the foetus was seen being dragged about the vicinity of the Hospital moments after it was abandoned on Wednesday.
The infant was born at just 22 weeks. Due to the premature delivery; the feeble and severely underweight baby succumbed to organ failure just minutes after being born.
Hospital employees allegedly disposed of the infant after the mother wanted nothing to do with it.
However a stray dog wandered into the compound where it somehow found the infant’s corpse and ate the head.
The remainder of the foetus was then seen in the compound of Diagnostic Centre where the animal had dragged and left it.
Initially the incident was blamed solely on the negligence of the hospital employees.
However, the MoPH in a statement yesterday noted that a further investigation has been launched into the matter to ascertain the person/persons responsible for the gross act of negligence and necessary action, including disciplinary, will be taken to ensure that an incident of this nature will not reoccur.
According to the Ministry, there is an established protocol for the disposal of biohazardous waste in the Public Hospital setting but it was clearly not adhered to by hospital personnel.
“The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has the proper means of disposing of biohazardous waste, so much so that other hospitals send their biohazardous waste to be disposed of there.”
But the administration of the Diamond Diagnostic Center contacted the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Shamdeo Persaud, to confirm the Standard Operating Procedure in such a circumstance.
“Following this, the CMO and the Chief Executive Officer of the GPHC, Mr. Allan Johnson arranged to have the foetus properly disposed of at the GPHC.”
The Diamond Hospital’s administration was instructed to send the foetus for proper disposal at the GPHC, but there was lack of compliance,” the Ministry said in the statement.