October 31, 2021
A Corentyne family is now grieving over their worst expectations as a mother and her newborn baby both died, days apart, at the New Amsterdam Public Hospital. Dead are Devi Samaroo, 24, and her newborn baby. In an interview with reporters, Sunil Partab, 28, a barber from Bloomfield Village, Corentyne Berbice, disclosed that he is disappointed with how he and his family were treated when they tried to inquire about Devi’s death.
Sunil explained that his pregnant wife was taken to the New Amsterdam Public Hospital and she was admitted as a patient. He said whilst Devi was pregnant and up to when he took her to the hospital she didn’t complained about any complications. Sunil explained that during his visit to the hospital on Saturday morning, he and his mother-in-law were told that Devi had given birth to a baby girl. He revealed that around 10:00 am on Saturday morning he received a call from his mother-in-law who told him to go to the hospital, which he did.
“Wen mi go me ask them if me can talk to Devi Samaroo, them say no me can not talk to her, a nurse told me that. So we deh, deh because them not lowing me nor me mother-in-law to go in. Whilst we deh outside them come and tell we say the child dead. So me ask them if we can see the child them say no, say the child already deh in mortuary. So me ask them if me can see the girl them say no.”
The grieving father said. Sunil explained that whilst he and other relatives were still at the hospital, they tried to inquire about who the doctor was that delivered the baby, but that information was not divulged to them. He also said that efforts were made to reach the doctor in charge of the New Amerstdam Public Hospital but were unsuccessful. Sunil begged several times before he was given the opportunity to get a glimpse of the child.
“Wen me go in the mortuary, them pull out the door and the pickney wrap up in a napkin. Me ask them if them can lose out the napkin so me can just see the pickney, say no and push in back the door and send me outside. Them say we have to wait until Monday.”
The grieving father stated that since the newborn baby died, no doctor or official from the hospital reached out to him nor his family. However, Sunil relayed that on Sunday morning he and other relatives went to the hospital to visit his wife, during which the nurse asked if there were any relatives present for Devi.
Subsequently, the relatives presented themselves. “When we go in office inside the Ward them tell we that about 10:00 last night them carry she in the Ward and 2:00 am this morning she call the Nurse and tell the Nurse say she na feel well, say she a feel weak. So them carry she and them work pon she. Them say, them sorry but me wife died with hemorrhage.
He also stated thatSo I say if I can see she, them say no them go see and do something let me wait outside. Me deh, deh me wait, wait till from 6:30 to 8:30 and the girl still deh in the room.”
Sunil further explained, “me see the porter come now with the thing wa yuh does push them and them carry in me. We me go in me see bear blood on the bedsheet and me help them porter put am pon a trally and them push am and carry her in the mortuary. When me went the ward she na wear no clothes.”
According to Sunil, he also asked to see the doctor in charge or a senior staff member, but that request was never granted to him. He said mostly security guards were visible, some of whom he had to deal with. “Me really want fuh know what fuh know exactly what happened. Because upon to now nobody na get no explanation.
The child dead, me wife dead, me and me daughter alone left and upon to now we na get no explanation fuh know exactly what happened. So me need answer right now.” In tears, Sunil said. “Fuh grow up without a mother now, is very hard.” Meanwhile, the deceased woman’s mother broke down in tears, as she recalled the last words she shared with her daughter. She said on Saturday that when she visited Devi at the hospital, she held onto her and cried.
The said daughter also complained about the pain she was experiencing. Devi leaves to mourn her husband and their 6-year-old daughter. Meanwhile, the Region 6 Regional Health Services in a release disclosed, “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, a 24-year-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 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.”
