Family protests for tougher penalties against doctor, nurses

Mother, baby deaths

Family members and friends of the late Vanessa Lewis-Sahadeo on Monday held a protest exercise outside of the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), calling for tougher penalties against the medical professionals who are responsible for the death of the 31-year-old woman and her newborn.

It had been revealed that a doctor and two nurses were found to be negligent in taking care of their patient who, along with her newborn baby, died.
The two nurses have since been suspended as an act of punishment and the doctor was sent back to Cuba.
However, family members of Lewis-Sahadeo are saying more should be done, and the actions of the medical personnel should be seen as criminal.
Outside of the New Amsterdam Hospital on Monday protesters called for the removal of the Regional Health Officer who they say is a part of a cover-up scheme.
According to Charis Cecil, the hospital is still to hand over her daughter’s cellular phone. She said when they received her daughter’s belongings, about $10,000 and her cellular phone were unaccounted for.
Her father, Eric Lewis said that the Regional Health Officer (RHO) had visited his home and indicated that the phone was discovered and was going to be handed over to the family. The phone has not been handed over to the family. In fact, the regional administration has made an offer to compensate the family for the phone.
Lewis said the phone has evidence of alleged threats made by one of the nurses who worked in the labour room.
He explained that no representative of the Ministry nor the regional facility attended the funeral or visited the family since the funeral.
However, before the funeral, the RHO during a visit to the home had said that the missing phone was found and she had instructed that it be placed in a safe place.
Meanwhile, the RHO has denied that she informed Lewis that the missing phone was located.
During the protest, Regional Chairman David Armogan spoke with the protesters. He said he is just as concerned as family members over the unfortunate incident.
“I want somebody from Georgetown who did the investigation to come and have a talk with the family and explain to them what exactly went wrong. I think they deserve that answer,” Armogan told reporters.
After giving birth to her fourth child at the New Amsterdam Hospital on February 26, Lewis-Sahadeo was transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GHPC) in an unconscious state where she succumbed a few hours later.
She was rushed to the city medical facility after reportedly developing complications at the New Amsterdam Hospital where the newborn baby had died. (Andrew Carmichael)