In January 2019, an investigation conducted found that improperly administered drugs, that are used as part of the chemotherapy for children, led to the deaths of three children. Now, more than two years later, the disciplinary proceedings instituted against the doctors have not yet concluded.

The three children who were receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for leukaemia, a form of cancer, lost their lives. Seven-year-old Curwayne Edwards succumbed on January 14; Roshani Seegobin, three, died on January 18 and Sharezer Mendonca, six, passed away on January 24.

At a press conference on the matter, in March 2019, the then Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Boyle said, “It wasn’t a question of the dosage; the administration – in terms of where it was administered – was done incorrectly. She later added, “One drug [Vincristine] was administered intrathecally [injected to the spine] when it should have been administered intravenously [or injected into the veins].”

During the GPHC’s investigation, it was reported that the medical practitioners directly involved were relieved of their duties. The Guyana Chronicle reported that these practitioners were sanctioned by the hospital and placed before the Medical Board, pending disciplinary action. Additionally, it was reported that two of the families, reportedly, accepted compensation from the hospital, while the third is pressing ahead with legal action.

For me, following the death of these children and the action taken subsequently, the need has been emphasised for greater levels of accountability in the medical sector. Simply, that means that practitioners must be obligated to accept responsibility for their actions (and in this case, malpractice).

It is saddening and unsettling that, as the Stabroek News recently reported, these disciplinary proceedings have not yet concluded. What is worse is that the Chairman of the Guyana Medical Council, Dr. Navindranauth Rambaran told Stabroek News that there is no timeline as to when the hearings will be concluded.

That article also noted that the Council has approached the Ministry of Legal Affairs for an overhaul of the sector’s legislation and regulations. During that meeting, the Council’s delegation had said that in its view the Medical Practitioners Act 1991 and the Code of Conduct and Standards of Prac-tice Regulations 2008 are “defective and toothless.”

Again, it has been more than two years since these children died. While some actions have been taken to remedy the situation- including launching the investigation instead of dismissing the matter and subsequently, offering compensation to the families- the matter has not been entirely resolved. The incomplete nature of the situation is further evidenced by the decision of one of the families not to accept compensation but rather, take legal action.

I, personally, do not believe that it is a case whereby the family is ‘out for blood’ or is trying to destroy the lives of the person(s) involved. Rather, I see it as the family just wanting to know that they can trust the healthcare system again, knowing that it allows for accountability.

Now, the unfortunate mis-administration of drugs that led to the untimely death of Edwards, Seegobin, and Mendonca was not an isolated incident of malpractice. There have been several cases of medical malpractice (and alleged medical malpractice) reported in the public domain. There are several reported allegations of malpractice during childbirth.

And, as recent as last week, it was reported that a woman’s leg was amputated after an accident at the National Infectious Diseases Hospital at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown. The patient claimed that she lost her leg due to the hospital’s negligence while treating her. At the time of writing this column, the news had only just surfaced and I expect that a thorough investigation would follow. Though accidents and mistakes do occur, we must never allow accountability to falter- especially when it deals with the quality of people’s lives and people’s lives. And I expect that if some malpractice was found, disciplinary proceedings would, again, be instituted.

I am not heartless and unforgiving. Neither am I unaware that mistakes- even grave, fatal mistakes- do occur. It is for these reasons that I would emphasise that disciplinary actions should not amount to exacting any sort of revenge upon the medical staff involved. At the very least, however, it should make us hopeful that we have a system wherein accountability is paramount. For us to trust our healthcare system, we have to have the assurance that should something go wrong- in as much as we wish things wouldn’t go wrong- the people involved will be held irresponsible.

If you would like to discuss this column or any of my previous writings, please feel free to contact me via email: vish14ragobeer@gmail.com