HEAD of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) Maternity Ward, Dr Lucio Pedro on Friday stated that many of the patients who come to the department and die before, during or after treatment are those who had been referred to the facility from other hospitals across the country, both public and private.
Dr Pedro was at the time speaking after a visit by Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr. Karen Cummings. According to the head of department, the result of the practice of referring patients whose health is very poor is that the deaths occur at the GPH, so they have to be recorded as happening there.
In most cases he added, the deaths could be avoided only if the other hospitals act responsibly and make proper judgments in ensuring that they transfer the patients in a timely manner to the GPH.
Dr Pedro said the staff work very hard to save the lives of patients who arrive there in critical condition, but it is sad to say that they cannot work miracles.
“When something bad happens we are not happy, the whole department is really sad when things happen. Every maternity death that happens here we are unhappy about; but people should know that we deliver over 6,000 persons here a year,” Dr Pedro explained.
Dr Pedro told the Chronicle that he was pleased that the minister had visited his department as it is always good when the persons responsible for the administration of facilities visit to get first-hand experience of the challenges being experienced.
The senior doctor made it clear that he was not pleased with the fact that patients who are transferred to the GPHC in critical condition could be been transferred earlier.
“I would like to have some of these things get out there; let midwives and doctors know and to say to them that if you have a problem, try to transfer those patients earlier rather than later,” he urged.
Over the years there have been many reported cases of maternal deaths at the Georgetown Public Hospital, but the issue of late referrals has never really been brought to the fore.
What the GPHC had spoken about in the past, was the practice of several health centres and persons in communities who choose to make the GPHC their choice when seeking medical attention, when the same treatment could be done at health centres within those communities.