Teacher dies minutes after giving birth at NA Hospital

…Health Ministry launches probe

By Andrew Carmichael

A 22-year-old teacher attached to St Lust Primary School in the Berbice River, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) died on Thursday at the New Amsterdam Hospital minutes after giving birth to her first child.
The woman reportedly died in the operating theatre after giving birth without seeing her baby girl.

Dead is Jacinth Muhummed Osborne, a 22-year-old teacher of Waruni, Berbice River.
Osborne was admitted to the New Amsterdam Hospital on Tuesday and gave birth Thursday morning.
Her husband, Sheldon Osborne said there was not much information forthcoming from the hospital.
In addition, he said that he has several unanswered questions, noting that his wife had no complications prior to being admitted to the maternity ward.
“The doctor called me and told me that her heart had stopped and they were able to get it to start again and that she was breathing normal and I feel lil’ good. He told me that I could get to see the baby, but I can’t see the mother,” Osborne related, noting that he was subsequently told that arrangements were being made to transport his wife to the Georgetown Public Hospital.
He explained that after about 15 minutes when he enquired from medical personnel as to what was happening, he was told that they were trying to stabilise his wife before transferring her to the city hospital.
As such, he left the New Amsterdam facility to prepare himself for the trip. While preparing himself, he was called and asked to return to the Hospital.
When he returned, Osborne said, he was told his wife had died.
Meanwhile, the dead teacher’s mother, Natalie Agard-Lucas explained that her daughter had complained about the amount of saline she was being administered. Her mother said that after the daughter complained about this to the medical professionals, the young lady had to sign a document stating that she was refusing the saline.
She said that on Thursday, after being in labour for more than 36 hours, she was taken to the operating theatre for a Caesarean Section.
“I was there with her when they said that they had to do an ultrasound. After that she highlighted to me that ‘they might have to give me a little slit, because my baby is very big’. She went to the labour room and was there all day Tuesday. Tuesday night, they induced labour on her…every time I called, she was like, ‘Mummy! Mummy! Pain, Mummy. I can’t able bear this pain, Mummy’,” the grieving mother recalled.

Meanwhile, an autopsy performed on the teacher’s body gave the cause of death as anaesthetic shock from anaesthesia.
The Health Ministry has since said that Osborne, who previously received antenatal care at the Calcuni Health Centre in Berbice River, was admitted to New Amsterdam Hospital on September 28 for induction of labour due to late-term pregnancy.
According to the Ministry, during the Caesarean Section, she went into cardiac arrest, and despite strenuous efforts, resuscitation failed.
The Ministry noted that a post-mortem was conducted and both internal and external investigations have commenced.
“The Ministry of Health and the Regional Health Authority of Region Six are deeply saddened by this event and express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased. We remain available to answer any questions the relatives may have regarding the deceased,” the Ministry’s statement said.
However, family members are calling for a thorough investigation as despite assurances that their questions would be answered, answers have not been forthcoming from medical personnel in Region Six.
Jacinth and Sheldon Osborne got married in April, and the newborn baby is the couple’s first child.