BRINGING forth life in this world is perhaps one of the most unique experiences and, of course, mothers are the ones who bear the bulk of that responsibility, risking their lives. But nature has so designed it, that it is a joy which only a mother could fully understand, of bringing forth a child in this world.
Recently, there has been an alarming situation with respect to child birth in Berbice. Within five weeks, four mothers have died in child birth at Berbice hospitals, allegedly as a result of negligence and an inhumane attitude of medical personnel.
Cabinet has called on the Health Ministry to mount an investigation and correctly so, but is this not still reactive rather than preventative?
There have been umpteen complaints about the attitude of medical personnel at public hospitals but these have largely been ignored.
If there was proper monitoring and supervision of staff at these institutions, the ills would have been unearthed and perhaps addressed and maybe many of these preventable and unfortunate deaths would not have occurred.
Cabinet also called on Minister of Health Dr. Leslie Ramsammy and the Ministry of Health to do all that is necessary to protect the lives of women at childbirth.
This follows the specific case of Esther Dwarka-Bowlin, acting Headmistress of the Princetown Nursery School in Corriverton, who died sometime between Friday night and Saturday morning at the New Amsterdam Hospital.
While Cabinet’s call is pertinent, the reality is that the Ministry of Health should have had measures in place to ensure that the lives of mothers are protected during child birth. In fact, the role of the health care system is to protect the lives of people.
Some of those who end up in the health care system are clearly not cut out for the job. Many just become nurses and other medical personnel because they want a job.
As a result, they do not approach their job with a sense of responsibility and a love of what they are doing – essential when one is in the health care system.
This problem could be addressed through increased focus in the training programmes on attitude as well as proper supervision and monitoring by senior medical personnel at public medical institutions.
There is also need for the establishment of a body to deal with complaints of poor service at public medical institutions. Currently, there is no body that members of the public can go to with their complaints of poor service at these institutions.
It is only when tragedies occur like the recent instances of maternal deaths that attention is focused on malpractices and irregularities at public health care facilities.
This is an appropriate time for those in the profession to reflect on one who is considered to be the pioneer of modern nursing – Florence Nightingale.
“Nursing is most truly said to be a high calling, an honourable calling. But what does the honour lie in? In working hard during your training to learn and to do all things perfectly. The honour does not lie in ‘putting on Nursing’ like your uniform. Honour lies in loving perfection, consistency, and in working hard for it: in being ready to work patiently: ready to say not `How clever I am!’ but “I am not yet worthy; and I will live to deserve to be called a Trained Nurse.”