SHILLONG, JUNE 1: In an alleged case of denying a accessibility to healthcare, a 31 years old pregnant woman lost her live when she had to deliver her baby by herself, after a government CHC allegedly refused to admit her.
Klotilda Suting, a resident of Thadmusem village under Elaka Nartiang in West Jaintia Hills district, died after delivery a baby on May 19, after the authorities of the Ummulong-CHC refused to admit her.
“The doctors and nurses in the CHC refused to admit my daughter saying that she was having anemic problem (lack of blood),” mother of deceased, Plorinda Suting told newsmen at a press conference on Tuesday.
She, however, argued, “Despite seeing my daughter was about to deliver the baby and needed immediate medical attention, yet they (hospital) insisted that we take her to the Jowai Civil Hospital at Ialong.”
Since her daughter (Klotilda) could not walk because of her condition as he was reaching the final stage of labour she had to be laid down on the roadside. “At this time, one Brigita Nongrum, who has a house just near the hospital, offered us to use her house where my daughter delivers the baby, Plorinda said.
“After delivering the baby, the condition of my daughter got worse since she needed a medical expert to release what they called plasma after delivery,” the aggrieved mother said.
She said seeing the condition of her daughter she immediately approached Dr Marshall Lamare, (who had conducted medical checking on Klotilda during her pregnancy period) but he refused saying that he cannot give treatment in private homes.
“I had even apologized to him (Dr Lamare) in his clinic if there are any shortcomings from my part and beg him to save my daughter. Even after repeated requests, he refused to come and see her,” Plorinda said adding “Finally, he agreed and asked to bring my daughter to the hospital.”
She said, “When we reached, it was already too late… my daughter was no more,” adding “The doctor said please don’t be sad about it, we all commit mistakes.”
Broken by the incident, the aggrieved mother said, “I told them, when my daughter needed your help the most, you were not willing to admit her, now that she is no more, you are ready to admit her dead body.”
She said her daughter would still be alive had the hospital extended help to her at the right time.
Taking the issue seriously, the Hynniewtrep National People Front (HNPF) has demanded the state government to take stern action against the erring doctors and nurses of the CHC and terminate their services.
“We demand the health minister to take stern action against two doctors (Dr Marshall Lamare and Dr Y Sumer) and two nurses (R Shylla and Aclarity) of the CHC for failing to perform their duty and live up to their pledged, which has cost a precious live,” HNPF president D Laloo said at a press conference.
According to him, the HNPF had also met the doctors on the matter. “But the justification given by the doctors to us that they could not admit Klotilda on ground that the hospital lacks equipments is not acceptable,” he said while informing the hospital also refused to produce the letter that the doctors gave referring her to the Civil Hospital at Ialong.
Condemning the incident, Laloo said, “As medical professionals, their duty is to provide whatever possible help to a patient which they have failed,” adding “What is the point of admitting after a person has already died… hospital is not for admitting dead body, it is a place where we save human lives.”
He also alleged that the hospital also failed to call the 108 ambulance to shift the pregnant woman to a better hospital.
Blaming the state government for not being able to provide equipments to the CHC, he said, “We also demanded the government to release compensation to the bereaved family for better care of the orphans of the deceased.”
The HNPF also threatens to resort to other means of action if the state government failed to comply with the demand.- By Our Reporter
+ There are no comments
Add yours