A WEST Demerara family is seeking answers and justice after a 15-year-old member of the family lost her baby hours after giving birth at the Georgetown Public Hospital.
The Guyana Chronicle was told that the young lady was enrolled in a clinic in West Demerara and after some time, she was considered a high-risk case and began attending the high-risk clinic.

This was after ultrasound performed on the teenager found that she did not have enough passage to deliver the baby normally.

“We were advised that her due date was initially set for April 24, but she was rushed to the hospital hours before that after complaining of contraction pains. She was then transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital after doctors in West Demerara informed relatives that in addition to a non-working theatre and the child’s lack of passage, she needed to have the child delivered by C-section. On Thursday April 27, the teenager delivered the baby after it was reportedly forced out of her by constant pressing on her tommy. This was against the advice of doctors at the West Demerara hospital, who, when they transferred the pregnant girl to the Georgetown Public Hospital, recommended that she deliver via C-Section,” a close relative said.

NO PROPER COMMUNICATION
The teen’s family also said that the atmosphere at the GPHC Maternity Ward was not accommodating and accused medical personnel there of not properly communicating with the teen and her relatives.

The teenager’s mother said she was able to speak with the head of the Maternity Ward who indicated to her that the baby died because the water bag of the young mother broke.
She said the head of department related that during delivery, a machine was attached to the young mother and that was supposed to provide a visual of what was going on in her tommy and guide medical personnel on how to treat with the difficult delivery.

However, during that process, the mother of the teen was told that the machine broke down and when the baby was delivered, it was found that the umbilical cord was wrapped around the child’s neck. The woman said the doctor admitted to her that had the machine been up and working, they would have been able to detect this problem.

PULLED OUT
Asked about her experience, the teenage mother said that it was a horrible experience, as medical personnel had pressed her tommy and pulled the infant out of her.
She said it was very uncomfortable and even indicated to the personnel that she was unable to deliver the baby, but they kept telling her that the pressing was necessary. The young lady said at the end of it, she had to receive internal and exterior stitches caused by the baby being forced out of her.

“We were advised that the baby was delivered alive, but after some hours he died in the incubator,” the young lady said. The family had already named the child Joshua.
The teenager became pregnant in August last year and soon after the matter reached the police, child care, welfare and social workers.

The police conducted an investigation, but the young lady explained that she did not know who the father was. As a result of this, no arrest was made.

According to the sexual Offences Act, anyone who has sex with a child below age 16 would be guilty of rape. The law clearly states that no child below age 16 can consent to sex. The death of the baby has since been reported to the Public Health Ministry which has launched an investigation into the matter.