Relatives of the seven babies who died at the Port of Spain General Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) between April 4 and 7 have initiated legal action against the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) citing medical negligence.
The legal threat claims a baby with a serious viral infection had been transferred from a private medical facility to the NICU "with no precautions taken to isolate the other babies from the risk of infection."
“Our clients noticed that the medical staff were not sanitising and washing their hands as they were being asked to do on the basis that failure to do so could be detrimental. If the staff were caring for this compromised baby were not washing their hands and sanitising then there is a real risk that they transmitted the infection. Barring this, the hospital will have to explain how these babies died whilst they were under their care and control,” the pre-action protocol letter stated.
The letter, which was sent to the NWRHA's CEO Anthony Blake, on behalf of Shaniya Raymond-Adams, Natasha Samuel, Shaquille Harry, Danyelle Samaroo, Tinelle Saunders, Jodie Molino and Shirese Moore-Beckles claims to be “an unprecedented class action claim for medical negligence based on the mass death of seven innocent babies at the PoSGH"
The letter alleged the seven babies have "died as a result of the sheer medical negligence, incompetence and substandard level of care provided by PoSGH."
The letter said the attorneys have also been approached by other people with claims of medical negligence and their incidents would possibly be added to the lawsuit.
They are requesting full disclosure of the number of babies who have died at the hospital from January 1 to present.
“Our clients have expressed grave concern about the integrity of the medical notes and records for the mothers and their babies as they have been requesting same and these documents are yet to be provided to them. They are troubled by the bureaucratic stonewalling and continuing failure and/or refusal to provide these critical documents."
They asked that the records be e-mailed to them by no later than April 15 at 4 pm.
The attorneys said they intended to seek aggravated and exemplary damages for the arbitrary and oppressive conduct of the staff at the hospital. They said the NWRHA breached its duty to disclose the fact that six other babies had died at the NICU and in close proximity to each other to Raymond-Adams.
[caption id="attachment_1065221" align="alignnone" width="781"] Anand Ramlogan -[/caption]
They said their clients had been contacted over the weekend and invited to attend a meeting with top NWRHA officials without being told the purpose of the meeting, who would be in attendance, and what was on the agenda.
The letter gave instructions on behalf of Kae’ Jhene Kerniah Charles (deceased) by her mother Raymond-Adams of Soriah Trace, Brazil Village, Arima.
Kae’ Jhene was born on April 1 and placed in the NICU. Her health began deteriorating on April 3 and she died on April 6. Her Afr
