– Health Ministry incensed
By Navendra Seoraj
THE Diamond Hospital, East Bank Demerara, is being blamed for negligence in complying with the standard operating procedure of disposing bio-hazardous waste, following the discovery of a stillborn baby in a trash bin.A release from the Ministry of Public Health on Friday indicated that “the improper disposal of a foetus at the hospital was due to negligence.”
It was highlighted that there is an established protocol for the disposal of bio-hazardous waste in the public hospital setting and this was not adhered to by hospital personnel. And according to recent reports, the stillborn baby was discovered in the hospital’s compound wrapped in red plastic.
Hospital sources told this publication that a stray dog had dragged it out of a garbage bin that was being used to dispose of hospital waste and refuse and carried the bag with the premature, dead baby to an empty location.
Subsequently, the animal began ripping through the bag until public-spirited citizens noticed what was happening and notified hospital staffers, who later scared the dog away.
This situation was condemned by the ministry, which noted through its statement that the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) has the proper means of disposing of bio-hazardous waste, so much so that other hospitals send their bio-hazardous waste to be disposed of there.
However, it was highlighted in the statement that the administration of the Diamond Diagnostic Centre had contacted the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Shamdeo Persaud, to confirm the standard operating procedure in such a circumstance.
Following a discussion, the CMO and GPHC Chief Executive Officer Allan Johnson arranged to have the foetus properly disposed of at the GPHC.
The hospital’s administration was instructed to send the foetus for proper disposal at the GPHC, but there was lack of compliance.
As such, the ministry has launched a probe into the matter to ascertain who was responsible for this gross act of negligence and will take the necessary action to ensure that an incident of this nature does not recur.
