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APNU questions welfare oversight, calls for probe into teen mother’s death
(Kaieteur News) – The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) on Friday raised concerns about the Ministry of Human Services and Social Protection welfare department’s oversight and possible institutional failures, following the death of 14-year-old mother Aleena Preetam.
Preetam, a former student of Abram Zuil Secondary School, was found dead at her Good Hope, Essequibo home earlier this week, just one month after giving birth.
Regional Democratic Council, Region Four Councillor, Shaneika Haynes Shaneika Haynes.
Speaking at the party’s weekly press conference, PNC executive member Shaneika Haynes questioned how a child under the age of 16 could have given birth without sustained intervention from the welfare department.
“How is it that a young lady under the age of 16 gave birth to a child and there was no visible intervention from welfare? Whether they identified the person who impregnated her or not, there should have been oversight,” Haynes said.
She argued that Preetam should have been referred to a welfare officer who would conduct regular home visits to assess her living conditions and well-being. Haynes suggested that the post-mortem findings which cited heart failure and anaemia as the causes of death, may have been linked to inadequate care at home.
Haynes connected the incident to broader economic pressures, stating that the rising cost of living may have prevented the teen’s family from providing proper post-partum nutrition and care.
“Institutions like the welfare department should have been following up to ensure she was alright,” Haynes stressed. “There is no way the welfare system should not have been making regular checks, given the circumstances under which she delivered a child at age 14. We need accountability. I want to hear a statement from the welfare department confirming whether they were involved or not.”
Haynes further questioned the decision to discharge the teen from hospital care, arguing that authorities must examine whether proper protocols were followed.
On February 27, this publication reported that a post-mortem examination (PME) determined that Preetam died from heart failure and anaemia. The examination was conducted on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at the Suddie Public Hospital Mortuary by Government Pathologist Dr. Nehaul Singh. Her body was subsequently handed over to relatives for burial.
Police said Preetam, who lived with her parents and her one-month-old baby, was last seen alive on Sunday evening. On Monday morning, relatives attempted to wake her but found her unresponsive. She was taken to the Suddie Public Hospital, where she was pronounced dead on arrival. No marks of violence were observed on her body.
According to investigators, the teen was discovered after her baby was heard crying for an extended period. Concerned family members checked on the infant and found Preetam motionless on her bed.
Regional Commander Superintendent Khemraj Shivbaran has confirmed that an investigation is underway. Police stated that enquiries will address “all relevant offences under the law arising from the circumstances of this matter.”
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