A DOCTOR and two nurses attached to the New Amsterdam Hospital have been suspended after an investigation found that they were “negligent” in the execution of their duties, resulting in the death of a mother and her child. Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony made the disclosure during his daily COVID-19 update on Thursday. “We had a mother and a child that died, and we launched an investigation into what happened at New Amsterdam. We have a standing committee called the Maternal Review Committee, and they had the opportunity to go there on Sunday and were able to interview everyone who was connected with the challenges we had there, and they have since issued a report. And, based on that report, we strongly believe that the doctor that was in charge of the patient seemed to be negligent; we also believe that the nurses who were involved were also negligent, based on these findings that were issued by this committee. I am taking immediate steps to suspend that doctor who was involved in that, and two of the nurses who were involved,” the minister said. The minister further noted that follow-up action will be announced at a later time. Vanessa Lewis-Sahadeo, 31, of Lot 19, Third Street, Williamsburg, Corentyne died at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) early Saturday morning, hours after delivering at the New Amsterdam Hospital.

The newborn baby died on Friday. The mother of three other children was admitted a patient at the New Amsterdam Hospital on February 22, after she was transferred from the Port Mourant Hospital. She had visited the Port Mourant Hospital after experiencing abdominal pains, and was told that her pressure and blood count were low. She was at the full term of her pregnancy, and was expected to give birth during the course of the week. Her distraught mother, 53-year-old Claris Cecil, said her daughter was a strong and active woman, who had no prior medical condition.  Meanwhile, on Thursday, Lewis-Sahadeo’s father, Eric Lewis, told reporters he hopes that the persons responsible would face criminal charges. A post-mortem performed on Lewis-Sahadeo by Government pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh on Wednesday revealed that she died as a result of hypovolemic shock, abdominal and pelvic hemorrhage, acute lung distress, brain edema and cerebellum herniation. One done on the newborn gave the cause of death as “newborn hemorrhagic syndrome”.