– Vows no cover up in maternal deaths probe
PRESIDENT Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday reacted strongly to the recent killing of schoolgirl Neesa Gopaul, calling it “beyond inhumane” and “a horrific act” which affects the soul of the nation.
“Somehow, we failed this child”, he said, adding that persons were negligent in this case and those responsible will be penalised. The President told reporters the Education and Human Services ministries have investigated the case to determine whether the school Neesa attended and other officials were at fault and recommendations for action have been made.
He did not give details of the proposed actions against those found negligent but said these will be made public.
Referring also to recent maternal deaths at hospitals in Berbice, Mr. Jagdeo said the government has to send a signal to those public servants who go to work and do not work.
“I said I want serious action on both matters and public action. There shall be no cover up because often sectors like to cover up different things and they couch it in technical language that laymen cannot understand”, he said firmly.
At a press conference at the Office of the President complex in Georgetown, he said the Gopaul issue affected the soul and conscience of the nation and has very important lessons for the country.
The reported information on the death of Gopaul reveals a tragic tale as she appears to have suffered a long period of abuse and torment before being cruelly murdered, then stuffed in a suitcase, tied with weights, and dumped in a creek.
Gopaul’s body  was found in a suitcase in the Madewini Creek in the vicinity of Emerald Tower Resort on Saturday October 2, 2010, at about 14:00 hrs and at the time was believed to be headless.
However, after a post mortem examination it was revealed that the body was not headless and was instead clobbered beyond recognition.
On Friday, October 8th, 2010 – two days after the body of  Gopaul was laid to rest – her stepfather Jarvis Small and her mother Bibi Shareema Gopaul were charged for murdering her at Madewini, East Bank Demerara.
Both accused appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Priya Sewnarine-Beharry and were remanded to prison after the joint murder charge was read to them.
In the dock,  both accused stood silently and emotionless when the charge was read stating that between September 24 and October 2, at Madewini they murdered Nessa Lalita Gopaul. They were not required to enter a plea.

Dumbbells similar to those found in a gym owned by Small were found tied to the suitcase in which the body was found.

BEYOND BRUTAL
“The Neesa Gopaul killing…is not just an inhumane act. It’s a horrific act. It is beyond brutal and what we have found out from this is that there were many failures”, President Jagdeo said.
He recalled the grave concern Cabinet has expressed on the matter and his previous concerns and stressed that too often people in the public sector who provide services are worried that they may get penalised for acts of commission.
“So, sometimes they don’t take any action or they would be very reluctant”, he noted.
But, the President declared, “In this case, we have to start penalising people for acts of omission because when you have a job and if you fail to carry out your responsibility then you can also be held responsible. We saw this [throughout the attempts] of this child to seek help so I spoke with Minister [of Education Shaik] Baksh and he is investigating whether the school had carried out its responsibility to this child and that report would be made public soon”.
Neesa attended Queen’s College in Georgetown but had stopped attending the school as a result of the abuse she was suffering at home.
Mr. Jagdeo said Human Services and Social Security Minister, Priya Manickchand, also commissioned an investigation to examine whether her officers acted properly when dealing with this case.
He said the report has found that the staff of the Human Services Ministry acted improperly and disciplinary action has been recommended.
“We need to do this more often,” he said, adding that in this way, persons working in the public sector would be more inclined to deliver the services that they are mandated to.
“We need to hold public servants responsible for acts of omission,” he emphasised.

MATERNAL DEATHS
The President said the same thing holds true for the maternal deaths that have been occurring of late in the nation’s public health institutions.
He said that while not all of these cases are the result of negligence, those who are found to be negligent in their duties will face the brunt of disciplinary measures.
“I know that not every maternal death that we have in this country is caused by negligence, because there can be complications in pregnancies and the death can be as a result of those complications.
“But there are cases where negligence has resulted in people dying unnecessarily. And the sector should not protect itself,” Mr. Jagdeo declared.
“We should not allow the sector to protect itself by giving blanket explanations that this is all because of complications in the pregnancy. So, I have said to the ministry that I want detailed independent investigations and those people who are negligent must face the brunt of disciplinary action too,” the President said.
He said that this is very important “if we are going to send a signal to others who go to work without wanting to work. They go to work and unconscionably sit down or go to sleep while someone under their care is crying out for help.”
The most recent maternal death in Berbice was that of 21-year-old Yogeeta Bisham, mother of a two-year-old girl and her newborn daughter, whom she delivered on Wednesday last.
Bisham, of Number 60 Village, was admitted to Skeldon Hospital but, later, rushed to New Amsterdam Hospital, where she died.
Sometime between last Friday and Saturday, Acting Headmistress of Princetown Nursery School, at Corriverton, Mrs. Esther Dwarka-Bowlin died in childbirth while delivering a baby boy. The 28-year-old is reported to have bled to death at Skeldon Hospital.
Last month, 26-year-old Rebekha Chinamootoo, of Number 26 Village, as well, succumbed under similar circumstances after birthing a healthy baby boy by caesarean section at New Amsterdam Hospital.
Two days before Chinamootoo’s death, 16-year-old Nadira Sammy, of Number 69 Village, Corentyne, as well, lost her life at New Amsterdam Hospital. She had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and passed away before her baby was born.