Mother, new born die hours apart
Sunil Partap with his wife Devi Samaroo and their six-year-old in happier times 
Sunil Partap with his wife Devi Samaroo and their six-year-old in happier times 

THE authorities have launched an investigation into the death of a mother and her new born who died hours apart at the New Amsterdam Hospital over the weekend.

Dead is Devi Samaroo, 24, and her newborn, a girl. The infant reportedly died on Saturday and the mother on Sunday.

Speaking with the Guyana Chronicle at his Lot 85 Bloomfield home, the grieving husband and father Sunil Partap, 28, a barber, said he wants justice and answers to what led to their demise. He related that his wife had a healthy pregnancy and no known medical complications prior to being admitted.

The young father explained that his wife was due to deliver on Tuesday last; however, she was admitted to the hospital on Friday evening around 18:30hrs and subsequently gave birth on Saturday morning.

According to reports, Samaroo gave birth to a stillborn baby.

Devi Samaroo

Partap said his mother-in-law went to the hospital around 06:00hrs on Saturday, but was unable to speak to her daughter or see her.

Then at 10:00hrs, he received a call to go to the hospital and while there, he was informed that the baby died.

Partab said he felt weak and questioned what went wrong, since his wife had told him the night before they checked for the baby’s heart beat and everything was well.

He related that he begged to see the lifeless infant, but was denied on several occasions and was told that the baby was already in the mortuary.

The young man added that he waited and continued to ask to see his wife and child and it was not until 17:00hrs that day that he was allowed to see the baby in the mortuary.

Partap said the baby was draped in napkin, and when he asked for it to be removed so that he could see the baby’s face, his request was denied.

“They said no and push back the door and send me outside. Them said till Monday morning again. I asked what’s the reason y’all don’t want me see the child? So I go back and ask if they could tell me who is the doctor that deliver the baby. If they could just tell me what happened since the baby died nobody nah come and explain and tell abee nothing. They say they can’t, so I asked what is the reason; they say work with order so I said tell who is the person giving the order because all I want was to find answers,” the grieving man told this publication.

He eventually left the hospital around 19:00hrs on Saturday.

SHOCK
Partap said he returned to the hospital on Sunday morning with the hope of seeing and comforting his wife, only to learn that his wife of eight years was dead.

“When I go I wait in-front the room, they asked if anyone come for Devi Samaroo, so I say ‘yea me’ and they asked who am I, I say ‘the husband’. My mother-in-law was there too and they call both of we in a room and say about 10 hour last night they carry her in the ward and around two (02:00hrs) this morning she call the nurse saying she wasn’t feeling well, and they work on her and said my wife died of haemorrhage.”

He added that when the porter was taking the trolley in to remove her body from the ward, he managed to see her. The sight pained his heart. A post-mortem is scheduled for today (Monday) for the mother and child.

Samaroo was a mother of a six-year-old daughter. Partap described her as a good person who was loved by many.

“She was a very good person, loving, caring, nice to everybody. Everybody around here can tell you. My daughter is six years old and to grow up without a mother is not good,” he said.

Meanwhile, Regional Chairman David Armogan in a statement said an investigation has been launched in the death of the mother and her newborn.

REGRET AND CONDOLENCES
“The New Amsterdam Regional Hospital regrets to inform the public that there has been a maternal death at our institution. The patient was Miss Devi Samaroo, 24 years old of Bloomfield, Berbice, who received her antenatal care at the Whim Health Centre. She was admitted on the 29th of October in the evening and delivered a preterm infant in the morning of the 30th of October.  The patient died this morning (31st Oct 2021),”
The statement added: “The investigation has commenced and is currently awaiting the post-mortem. The public will continue to be informed. The management and staff of the New Amsterdam Regional Hospital are deeply saddened by this event and express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.”

Mother of Samaroo, Mahendrawattie Sewnauth, 45, said the treatment they received at the hospital added to their grievance and made the situation more difficult for them.

Mahendrawattie Sewnauth

She said had officials reached out to them and offered an explanation, they would have felt better, but no one has made an attempt to do so. All they needed were answers.

“When I go yesterday [Saturday] morning I rap on the door and they collected a bag, and I was waiting to see her, but they say I can’t talk to her or see Devi Samaroo.”

She noted that she left and returned at midday when she briefly saw her daughter while she was being moved to the ward.

“They bring her out by wheelchair. She grabbed on to me waist so I say ‘girl, wha happen’ and she asked for something to drink so meh open ah milk and give she. She seh she nah even know what baby she get if a boy or girl and when she asked the nurse to show her the baby them tell she, ‘no’. She said Ta, ah baby dead and that was the last conversation with she.”

The mother said she tried to call her daughter’s phone Saturday night to hear her voice as she was not satisfied when she saw the look on her daughter’s face earlier Saturday, but calls to her phone went unanswered.

“Meh pray for morning reach, so meh could [go] back ah Hospital.”

In tears, the woman stated that she went with the intention of caring and bathing her daughter, but received the news of her daughter’s death. Her family is in a state of despair.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

All our printed editions are available online
emblem3
Subscribe to the Guyana Chronicle.
Sign up to receive news and updates.
We respect your privacy.