Latest update April 17th, 2025 8:13 AM
Minister Persaud to engage Cabinet on death of Berbice mom and child
– says there must be a “thorough and unbiased” probe
A section of the family during the protest yesterday
Kaieteur News – As the family of Vanessa Lewis and her baby of Williamsburgh,Corentyne, Berbice continue to seek answers about the circumstances surrounding their death, they staged a third protest in front of the St.Francis Community Developers office in Portuguese Quarter, Port Mourant where the Minister of Human Services and Social Security Dr. Vindya Persaud was in attendance.
Kaieteur News would have reported that Vanessa Lewis was admitted to the New Amsterdam Hospital to deliver her baby over three weeks ago. However, days after being admitted, the young woman went into labour and a C-section had to be performed. The young mother developed complications and lost her baby. Hours after the delivery, she was said to be in a vegetative state and was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where she was pronounced dead.
The frustrated and grieving family while speaking with the media from the protest line yesterday stated, that they are pleased that Minister Persaud stopped and engaged them. They added that while it is another wait to see what will be done and if their cries have been taken into consideration, they are satisfied that the Minister spoke with them and offered assistance from her ministry.
Minister Persaud told media operatives during an invited comment that she is “very concerned” about the situation and noted that “this government cares deeply about the life of mothers and children”. The Minister said she assured the relatives that their concerns will be taken to Cabinet and to the Minister of Health Dr. Frank Anthony while adding that “we should have a thorough, unbiased and professional investigation to determine what the series of events were, and why that mother lost her life.”
Also, the Minister has since offered her commitment to assisting the remaining three children of Vanessa Lewis since the grandparents will now have to take care of them.
The relatives of Vanessa Lewis began their protest on Monday in front of the New Amsterdam Hospital calling for justice to be served and for the names of those who were suspended be revealed to them. They also called for the removal of the Regional Health Officer for Region Six Dr. Vishalya Sharma and the CEO of the New Amsterdam Hospital Micheal Khan, since they are of the belief that those officials are also partly responsible for Vanessa’s death. They had also stressed that since the investigation was done no one from the investigating team engaged them.
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