….investigation underway at New Amsterdam Hospital

THE Berbice Regional Health Authority (BRHA) is   investigating the death of 24-year-old Marissa Lagoudoue, who died just under three days after delivering a baby boy at the New Amsterdam Hospital. 

Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Vishwa  Mahadeo, in an invited comment,  said  an independent evaluation into the mother’s death is currently ongoing at the health institution,  while noting that  several factors could have contributed to Lagoudoue’s demise.

He nevertheless opted to await the post mortem findings. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, over at the 41 Stanleytown residence of Lagoudoue, a relative was observed feeding the newborn baby with a syringe.
The baby, who is yet to be named, is oblivious to the fact that his mother will not be there when he makes his first step. However, his great aunt, Candace, has  promised his dying mother that she would take care of the new born and his four year old brother.
According to the aunt, her niece left home on Friday,   to attend the ante-natal clinic, when medical staff referred her to the New Amsterdam Hospital after nothing that she was in labour.
Candace said, “She telephoned between 09:20 and 09:30hrs, telling me of her admission and requesting that I take her bag with the necessities required for hospitalization.
“Shortly afterward she had a normal delivery, but had to be given two units of blood, but her blood pressure remained high, and her feet remained swollen. She remained hospitalized until Sunday, when she was discharged at 13:30hrs.
“I repeatedly asked the nurses and doctors if she was okay, as I did not want her to go home without feeling well. But they said she was okay. So we went home.
“Everything seemed well, until she got out of bed at about 01:30hrs. I thought she was attending to the older son. “But, the period seemed long, so I asked her why she was not nursing the baby. But the tone of her voice alerted me. I knew something was horribly wrong.
“I went into the hall and observed that her heart was palpitating rapidly, and after being questioned she complained of feeling unwell.
“We returned to the New Amsterdam hospital shortly afterwards.  Medical personnel upon examining her said her blood pressure  was high. They were of the opinion that the patient should not have been discharged but should have been monitored for an extended period.
Meanwhile, even  as doctors tried  to save the maternal patient, she felt the pangs of death as she cried to her aunt saying, ’My life leaving me, I will die now. Take care of my children.’
The aunt, left with the responsibility of two minors, is asking for a thorough investigation into the death of her niece.

(By Jeune Vankeric)