GPHC dubs Stabroek News report on demise of 12-pound baby as ‘one-sided, mischievious’
MANAGEMENT of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has reacted with astonishment to the article published in Friday’s edition of the Stabroek Newspaper under the caption, ‘Mother of dead 12 lb baby in poor health – will no longer engage hospital’. In a press release responding to the article, management of the GPHC stated, “It was shocking to have read that Ms. Lashley would refuse to come into the hospital to meet and address this matter with management, if she and/or her relatives are so confident in the statements/claims they made.”
It continues: “There appears to be an issue of post partum depression or psychosis being suffered by this patient and management is willing to provide counseling service to Ms. Lashley, since improving peoples’ health, both physical and psychological, is GPHC’s primary concern.”
The release outlined that the doctor who spoke with the patient about her condition upon admission, as well as the nurses who were present during and after delivery, were scheduled to be present with management to clarify the claims made, and what actually transpired.
Management is of the view that, if these individuals genuinely desired to resolve this matter, they would have asked that the meeting be deferred to a later date or suggested that another relative attends.
Noting that Stabroek News indicated that the complainant was persuaded not to come, for reasons of deteriorating health, the hospital said it considers it prudent that these relatives seek medical assistance for Ms. Lashley.
Notwithstanding, management of the GPHC is perturbed and has expressed utter disappointment over what it perceives to be, clearly, a ‘biased and subjective reporting’ on the part of the Stabroek News reporter.
It charged that, as the newspaper continues to ‘follow up’ this story, only statements or comments from the patient and her relatives are being sought, and that ‘false claims by these individuals’ are being published. Moreover, the GPHC says, “There  has been no communication between the reporter, whose name was also published and the GPHC’s Public Relations Office on this matter.”
The GPHC release notes that, it is ironic that the writer of the story would, from time to time, ‘bombard the Public Relations Office (PRO) with telephone calls’, when there is need for information about patients and their condition. However, on this occasion, no call was made to the PRO or the Chief Executive Officer (neither at the onset of this issue, nor during the so-called ‘follow-up’).
For this reason, it concedes, “There appears to be a personal vendetta by Stabroek News against GPHC, in its attempt to drag the hospital through the mud by reporting the same inaccurate statements in its subsequent publications.”
Management wishes to further advice that the body is still at the mortuary and, as is protocol, if it is not claimed within a certain period of time (1 month), the institution will accord the dead child a proper burial.
In concluding, the administration said it would like to remind that, where these claims are concerned, the hospital’s statements are always backed by evidence in all charts, which are legal documents and can be used in the Court of Law.