GPHC admits systemic failures contributed to death of firefighter

Mar 29, 2025 News

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…but holds no one accountable

Kaieteur News- The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) admitted on Friday that systemic gaps at the facility contributed to the death of firefighter Voshaun Manbodh. However, the hospital clarified that no individual or department was held accountable for the tragedy.

In a statement, GPHC released the findings from an investigative panel, which included external experts, regarding Manbodh’s death at the facility. GPHC said, “While the findings highlight systemic gaps that contributed to this unfortunate outcome, they do not suggest intentional negligence or wrongdoing by any individual or department.”

Manbodh, 27, died from injuries sustained while battling a fire at Mae’s Schools in Subryanville on March 5, 2025. His family had expressed significant dissatisfaction with the medical care he received at GPHC and called for an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.

The family’s concerns centered on the hospital’s poor treatment of Manbodh after his admission, claiming that a series of failures and improper care at GPHC led to his deteriorating health and ultimate death. As such, an independent investigation was launched, which concluded that Manbodh’s death was not solely due to the injuries sustained in the fire, but complex complications arising from his acute trauma in conjunction with underlying disease. The panel stated, “The Investigative Panel concluded that Mr. Manbodh passed away due to a known secondary complication of traumatic injuries—multiple bleeding ulcers.”

The hospital acknowledged the findings, pointing out that the investigation revealed areas in need of improvement, including clinical coordination, timely escalation of care, and adherence to trauma management protocols. “The findings underscore the challenges inherent in managing multifactorial medical conditions and the need for a comprehensive, integrated approach to patient care,” GPHC said.

Further, the panel’s review identified key areas for improvement in trauma management, interdisciplinary communication, documentation, and discharge protocols. These areas included:  enhanced multidisciplinary communication – mandatory interdisciplinary case discussions for complex trauma cases to ensure continuous collaboration between all involved medical teams; reinforced escalation protocols – improved monitoring and response mechanisms for changes in patient condition, ensuring timely intervention; clinical governance strengthening – review and update of documentation policies, including clearer referral feedback mechanisms and improved communication of critical lab values; training and capacity building – continuous medical education sessions focusing on trauma care best practices, interdisciplinary coordination, and early complication detection; policy updates – refinement of discharge protocols to ensure that all necessary medical teams remain engaged in a patient’s care until stability is confirmed.

Fall from bed

Regarding allegations that Manbodh had fallen from his bed, GPHC confirmed that there was no evidence to support the claim. “There is no evidence that Mr. Manbodh fell from his bed, a claim that was verified by the nurses on duty and other patients in the ward at the time,” the hospital stated.

The family had reported a series of incidents during Manbodh’s hospitalisation that they believe contributed to his deteriorating condition. On March 6, an MRI showed no abnormalities, and Manbodh was initially stable. However, his condition worsened due to “delayed medical interventions, inadequate monitoring, and critical lapses in care.” Despite requiring specialized neurological attention, he was placed in a general male surgical ward instead of receiving proper neurological care. His MRI was delayed, and a failure to sedate him properly caused additional distress.

The family also criticised the hospital’s handling of Manbodh’s restraints. They stated that hospital staff attempted to restrain him using only two pieces of string tied to his hands and loosely tied his legs, despite his unstable condition. Furthermore, Manbodh’s mother was informed by another patient that he had fallen from his bed, but hospital staff failed to inform her of the incident, instead claiming he was behaving aggressively, which led to further attempts at restraining him.

Despite the family’s repeated attempts to ensure proper care, Manbodh’s condition worsened, and he passed away. The family expressed frustration that their concerns about his care, including his lack of proper restraint, hydration, and medical oversight, were ignored or inadequately addressed. They believe that these lapses in care contributed significantly to his deterioration and death. His mother was only informed of his passing at 11:18 PM that night.

(GPHC admits systemic failures contributed to death of firefighter)

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