Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital rejects claim of medical negligence

…says operation had to be done to save patient’s life

In response to a $6.6M lawsuit filed against the Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital by a woman who alleges that her reproductive organs were removed without her consent, the medical institution has since denied the accusation, and is maintaining that the procedure had to be done to save the patient’s life.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the hospital vowed to defend the claim. The statement comes more than a month after the legal action was filed at the Demerara High Court, and one day after the details of the civil proceedings were widely publicised in the media.

Wonder Kellman-Hall, 45, a mother of two, is seeking damages in excess of $5 million from the private hospital and its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for negligence, exemplary and aggravated damages of more than $1 million, and special damages in the sum of $659,500 – a total of $6,659,500 — for the unauthorised surgical removal of her cervix and ovaries.
On or around June 2021, Kellman-Hall deposed, she encountered problems that she believed were connected to her reproductive organs, and she visited the East Street, Georgetown hospital.
There she met a gynaecologist who advised her that she had fibroids attached to her womb and she had an umbilical hernia. After further consultation, the woman said, it was agreed that at an estimated cost of $650,500, she would undergo a surgical procedure to remove her womb and a second surgery to remove the hernia.
According to Kellman-Hall, after discussions, she decided to have the surgeries, and expressly stated that she did not want her cervix and ovaries to be removed.
On June 9, 2021, Kellman-Hall said, she was admitted to the hospital to undergo the surgeries, and had to pay the hospital the full $659,500. She said she was discharged on June 11, 2021. Sometime after the surgery was performed, the woman averred, she visited the gynaecologist and she never indicated to her that her cervix and both ovaries had been removed.
In late August 2021, the woman said, she visited the Cancer Institute of Guyana in Georgetown, where she had an ultrasound performed on her, and that it was only then that another doctor informed her that her cervix and both of her ovaries had been removed.
Kellman-Hall said she has requested all the documentation from the Dr Balwant Singh’s Hospital concerning the surgery, but has not received any such information to date.
In telling its side of the story, the hospital declared, “Our records show that Kellman-Hall has been a patient of Dr. Madhu Singh, Obstetrician and Gynecologist, and Chief Executive Officer, since May 2014. She was diagnosed with a condition in 2021, and surgery was recommended as the best course of action. The procedure was conducted on June 9, 2021.”
The statement added, “Kellman-Hall made a complaint about the procedure on August 23, 2022. It is important to note that Ms. Kellman-Hall was fully informed of the risks and benefits of the recommended procedure, and she gave her consent. Kellman-Hall’s consent was voluntary and informed, and at no time did the hospital or its employees breach any duty of care owed to her.” During the surgery, the hospital said, there was uncontrollable bleeding from one organ, posing a risk to her life, and as a result, it was necessary to remove the organ.
“It should be noted that the procedure is a routine one, and the organ removal poses no long-term effects on her ability to continue her normal life. Post-surgery, Dr. Madhu Singh informed Kellman-Hall of the circumstances and explained that, despite the action that was required during surgery, the overall goals of the procedure were met, and that her post-surgery expectations have not changed. The post-surgery action required that everything that was removed during surgery be sent to the Georgetown Public Hospital for testing. The histopathology report from the Georgetown Public Hospital confirms the position of the Dr. Balwant Singh’s Hospital.”
According to the hospital, its priority is always the well-being and safety of its patients.
“We maintain strict adherence to medical standards and guidelines, and in this case, our actions were consistent with the practice accepted by a reasonable body of medically skilled personnel of the same specialisation,” the private hospital said.
Kellman-Hall, who is being represented by Attorney-at-Law Sanjeev Datadin, claims the unauthorised procedure has severely affected her ability to do her job as a travel agent.