AMID criticisms about the manner in which care was administered to the late Minister within the Ministry of Education Dr Desrey Fox, Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon indicated Friday that the report into her death is forthcoming.

At the Office of the President, Shiv Chanderpaul Drive, Georgetown, Luncheon, conducting his weekly post-Cabinet press briefing, said Minister of Health Dr Leslie Ramsammy has indicated that, in accordance with President Bharrat Jagdeo’s instructions, a team was assembled and a deadline for the report was given.

The Health Minister has been urged to ensure that the report is completed within a reasonable time as provisions for matters of this nature are available in the country’s regulations and statutes, Luncheon said.

According to him, Minister Ramsammy has received specific instructions to have the report finalised and the countdown to its submission has already begun.

Leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) had suggested that “negligence” may have been a contributing factor in the death of the Minister.

The PNCR leader had questioned whether Dr Fox’s death was due to the vehicular accident or had resulted from “any intervening events, such as professional negligence at the Georgetown Public Hospital.”

Health Minister Ramsammy has since pointed out that, in accordance with established policy, the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) engaged in its own “clinical audit” in the circumstances of Dr Fox’s death. This, he said, was the normal practice when deaths occur in such circumstances.

A press statement from the Health Ministry had said that the Ministry is satisfied that the staff at GPHC tried their best and provided quality care to Minister Fox.

It pointed out that everyone worked diligently and was hoping that she would have recovered.

The statement said that it would be difficult for anyone to make a case that the hospital did not provide round-the-clock care to the late Minister.

According to the release, consultants and other caregivers were present at all times during her stay at the hospital and until her death.

It further pointed out that all investigations necessary and available in Guyana were done and clinical decisions were based on the results of these investigations.

To this end, a preliminary diagnosis was made and this was added as the results of new investigations became available.

Also, the release highlighted the fact that the hospital did its own clinical audit of the case of Minister Fox.

The Standard Operating Procedure of the GPHC requires such an internal audit to be done for deaths that occur in circumstances such as those of Minister Fox.

The internal audit was presented to the Board of the Hospital at the regular meeting, and the Board, according to the release, was satisfied that the GPHC professionals did all that was necessary under the circumstances.

The post mortem conducted by a pathologist confirmed that there was no evidence to suggest negligence on the part of the hospital staff.

The Health Ministry maintained that quality health care is provided by the health care facility to the best of its ability to everyone that comes to the hospital, regardless of their position in society or their financial status.