By Svetlana Marshall

IN developing and underdeveloped countries very high risk pregnancies often end in stillbirth, Public Health Minister, Dr. George Norton said as he responded to concerns raised by Sumarie Balwant, the 34-year-old mother who recently lost her baby during delivery at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH).

Preliminary investigation into the death of the baby indicates that Balwant had experienced a ‘velamentous cord insertion’, which is an abnormal condition during pregnancy. Normally, the umbilical cord inserts into the middle of the placenta as it develops, however, velamentous cord insertion occurs when the umbilical cord inserts into the fetal membranes, then travels within the membranes to the placenta.

“This condition is considered as a congenital malformation and as the mother goes into labour the cord becomes detached from the placenta causing the baby to die before birth is completed from lack of blood,” Minister Norton further explained.

He said in “sophisticated obstetric centres” this condition is often detected using high tech imaging devices, and therefore allows for a caesarean section (C-section) to be done by week 35. “This was not available at the Georgetown Public Hospital…and so the baby perished in spite of what appeared to be a normal birth but in reality it was not.”

However, Balwant, who resides at Lot 640 Good Hope, East Coast Demerara, is of the strong opinion that negligence on the part of the hospital resulted in the death of her child. Balwant with the help of her mother Yungal Kumarie is planning to take legal action against GPH.

On Friday, Kumarie said she has no confidence in the Health Minister or the Georgetown Public Hospital. “Dr. Norton should resign, because he ain’t get a clue wah going on. I know is a new government but still.”
Balwant’s doctors had given her November 17, 2015 as her due date, and approximately three weeks before that date the Lusignan Health Centre had transferred her to GPHC.

“She went three Mondays in a stretch and on the last Monday, the 16th, they told her not to come back.” Kumarie recalled that Balwant was taken back to the hospital on Tuesday, November 17 after experiencing severe pain. By Wednesday, November 18 the pain had worsened.

“When we left Wednesday after lunch the water bag break and she begged them to deliver her but them turn and tell she if she never had baby before, leh she wait there. By de time dem check she, they whispering because they didn’t get no heartbeat.”

She added that, “although them know they aint getting no heartbeat them left de baby in her till 8-9 o’clock, then is when dem tek out the baby, like dem de wan kill she,” Kumarie said as she complained bitterly.

She pointed out that her daughter had done two ultrasounds which were attached to her clinic card. “I want know something, is way dem getting these young people from that dem calling nurses and doctors that don’t know nuttin. Imagining she de crying out fuh pain and dem just left she deh.” Kumarie is now calling on the Public Health Ministry to take action against those responsible.