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Mother to sue Diamond Hospital over baby’s death
— MoH orders external probe
(Kaieteur News) – Thirty-eight-year-old Wendy Wharton will be taking legal action against the Diamond Regional Hospital over the death of her newborn baby, Azeira Zoey Persaud, who died on October 12, 2025 at the hospital.
Wendy Wharton
In an interview with Kaieteur News, Wharton said she is dissatisfied with the reports being made by the Ministry of Health and holds firm that her daughter died due to negligence on the part of the health workers at the facility.
Wharton explained that contrary to reports, she did not have a “spontaneous vaginal delivery” as stated by the ministry. She said she had a “prolonged labour” which resulted in the nurses inducing labour.
“I saw the news said I had a spontaneous delivery that was a lie. I was scheduled for an induction on Wednesday the 8th of October but I went in on the Tuesday because I had some pain and my pressure was a little high so they kept me in,” she explained.
“Wednesday, they came to me and they tell me that they would not be able to induce labour because they have more serious cases, I thought I was the serious case because they told me I am a serious case because I am high risk and because of my age,” she recalled.
She noted that on Thursday morning, the nurses induced labour at approximately 6am. Wharton noted that after almost a whole day, she delivered her baby at around 12:30 am on Friday.
Despite the birth of the baby, there was no paediatrician to check the baby properly.
The death registration form for the infant.
The woman disclosed that she has a 17-year-old son and from her experience, a paediatrician has to be present shortly after birth to examine the baby. Wharton said that a paediatrician arrived at about 12:30pm to check the baby.
“This is how the negligence started all along and I kept observing them, and I kept asking where is the doctor because everybody else would have already been seen,” she related.
Wharton said that when that doctor arrived, she realised that she was a Spanish speaking national. “She checked everything and I did not see she sound my baby which was wrong and she said the baby is ok and tomorrow I will come back.”
Recalling a sequence of alleged misconduct by the health professionals from there on, Wharton related that her baby was deemed discharged by the doctor on Saturday but she was not, so they were both in the ward.
She recounted that on Sunday around 1am, her baby began crying but fell asleep. The newborn woke again at 3:00 am crying. This caused Wharton to worry.
“Nurse did not come to me. All she said to me was, ‘mommy the next time baby cry, wipe baby’. I did not wipe baby that early, I try to breastfeed the baby but she did not want the breast, so I just change her pampers and rock her back to sleep,” she said, noting that at around 5am, the baby woke up again crying aggressively.
Wharton said the baby then suddenly stopped crying. “Instantly, the baby stop crying and I called the nurse after I realised the baby looked like she was losing her breath, and I showed her that this baby was not breathing and she came and turned the baby on her belly and knock baby on her back only two times,” the mother explained.
The aggrieved woman said that simple gesture could not have resuscitated her child, claiming that the nurse did not perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). This, she said, promoted other staff to respond to the situation. They then left the ward and went to the labour room which she noted was a distance away to resuscitate the child.
During that process, there was a power outage which did not last long. The nurses subsequently told Wharton that the infant would be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
“The room did not have no machine in order to make that baby come back, nothing. There was an oxygen at the bedside but there was nothing plugged up to it,” she reported. It was when the power returned, the staff informed her that her baby passed away.
The grieving mother claimed that if her baby was examined properly and attended to from the inception, she would have known what was going on with her child. She also said that based on the post-mortem results, she independently sought a better understanding from medical personnel about bronchoaspiration – the child’s cause of death.
Wharton insists that the Ministry of Health is not presenting the entire story to the public.
Notwithstanding, the Ministry of Health on Saturday said that an external investigation will be launched into the circumstances surrounding the newborn’s death.
“While the internal investigation has been completed, the Ministry of Health has also commissioned an external investigation to ensure an independent and thorough review of all clinical and procedural aspects related to this tragic event,” the ministry said in a statement while expressing its condolence to Wharton and her family.
“The Ministry joins the hospital community in mourning this loss and reaffirms its commitment to a transparent and comprehensive review of the circumstances surrounding the incident,” the ministry expressed.
The Health Ministry stated that immediately following the event, the hospital initiated an internal clinical investigation led by the attending medical officers, midwifery, and nursing teams. The review they said was conducted under the supervision of the Hospital Quality and Patient Safety Department, in keeping with the Ministry of Health’s established standards for the reporting and assessment of critical incidents.
“The investigation confirmed that the infant was born at 38 weeks and 2 days gestation via spontaneous vaginal delivery on October 10, 2025. Apgar scores were recorded at 9, 10, and 10, indicating healthy postnatal adaptation. The infant remained clinically stable and was discharged in good condition on October 11, 2025, continuing to room-in with her mother,” the ministry detailed.
The ministry reported that on October 12, at approximately 5:34 a.m., the infant was discovered unresponsive. The ministry claimed that nursing and medical staff immediately commenced resuscitative efforts, including full advanced neonatal life support, in accordance with established protocols.
They noted that oxygen was available and adequately supplied throughout the procedure.
They disclosed in the release, “During this period, the hospital experienced a brief power outage; however, the backup generator was activated immediately, and the ongoing resuscitation efforts were not affected in any way. Despite sustained and comprehensive intervention, the infant was pronounced deceased at 7:51 a.m.”
The Health Ministry shared that a post-mortem examination was conducted and it revealed evidence of “bronchoaspiration of gastric contents (material from the stomach that was inhaled into the bronchi and lungs), which may have contributed to the infant’s sudden collapse.”
The ministry said that together with the Diamond Regional Hospital, it remains steadfast in its commitment to continuous improvement of healthcare systems and protocols to ensure that all citizens receive the highest quality of care.
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One thought on “Mother to sue Diamond Hospital over baby’s death”
THE BLUNT OF THE DAY
Sports
Features/Columnists
Sir. Ronald Sanders
The GHK Lall Column
Weekend Cartoon
All these NEW HOSPITALS, medical equipment as needed, necessary, or
lack thereof, look shiny from the outside-new paint, guard hut, etc. Staff is
needed to run, operate the Hospital. I don’t mean the porter, gardener, guard…
real medical staff, full contingent in all the fields… you don’t have this new
place fully staffed, it’s not called a Hospital, it’s more like a “waiting” to die
place. Most of the time, when a patient is not sedated, sleeping, she knows
fully well what is happening around her, especially with a newborn crying
and minimal staff intervention. Go ahead Mom, sue the hospital.