2 maternal deaths: Probe begins, to identify gaps in care – Health Minister

A probe has commenced into the deaths of two pregnant women over the weekend, who were patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital and Infectious Diseases Hospital.
Making this revelation was Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Monday, explaining that both were ‘very complicated’ cases. An internal review at the GPHC will piece together details surrounding the unfortunate incidents. Simultaneously, an external review will be executed by the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, which is an independent body from the hospital.

He stated, “Both of these were extremely complicated cases and the medical response in any event would have been quite difficult to work with these patients because they were very, very complicated. Nevertheless, as is our protocol, any deaths that occur at the Georgetown Hospital would undergo a thorough internal review with the specialised staff of the hospital. That review has commenced for both cases.”
According to him, findings from both reviews would determine if there were any gaps in providing care and if so, measures to address them.
The Health Minister informed that one of the two women hailed from New Amsterdam. She was transferred to the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, after developing complications and required intubation.
“They had to be intubated and they came down to Georgetown. And that person died at the COVID hospital. There were numerous attempts to help that person because the patient was a very complicated patient,” he commented.

On the other hand, it was communicated that the second patient had preeclampsia – a hypertension disorder that can occur during pregnancy.
“This resulted in the person having several seizures before even coming to the Diamond Hospital and then sent to the Georgetown Hospital.”
It was reported by Guyana Times that a 19-year-old female died shortly after giving birth to twins on Sunday at the GPHC. The babies were stillborn. According to the hospital, the dead teenager was from the East Bank of Demerara, Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica).
The second maternity death reported was a 40-year-old pregnant woman from Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), who also died on Sunday at the Ocean View facility, which houses the COVID-19 Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Last month, there were two other maternal deaths at GPHC. On October 20, a 31-year-old mother of two, Rashanna Dindayal of Lodge, Georgetown, and her unborn child died at the city hospital. Then, Navita Maraj, a 39-year-old mother of five, and her unborn child died at the GPHC on October 29. (G12)