Death of Eight babies

North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) official has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of parallel investigations into a series of baby deaths at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Port-of-Spain General Hospital (PoSGH) in Trinidad.

This decision in relation to Darrel Jones, lead of the NWRHA’s Infection Prevention Control Unit, was made by the authority’s board of directors and made a statement via a media release yesterday April 18th, 2024.

The release mentioned, “As the investigation matures, the NWRHA may make further recommendations for suspension if deemed necessary to advance the investigation.”

It was never mentioned in the no further information the release also did not identify the employee by name but it was mentioned by Guardian Media that a confirmation of the unknown was Jones via his account on the employment-related social media platform LinkedIn and a source within the authority.

Meanwhile, lawyers for the families of babies yesterday reiterated their call for statistics on babies who died at the healthcare facility since January 1.

Attorney Sue Ann Deosaran, of Freedom Law Chambers, renewed the call in her latest legal correspondence to attorney Alana Bissessar, of Pollonais, Blanc, de la Bastide and Jacelon, which was retained to represent the NWRHA.

Ms.Deosaran said, “How on earth could the NWRHA expect the public to have any confidence in it as a public health provider when it is refusing to disclose such a critical statistic?” It was also mentioned by same

That “This information belongs to the public and the NWRHA’s continuing failure and/or refusal to disclose same has left our clients with the unmistakable impression that there is a sinister conspiracy to maliciously withhold such information because it wishes to manipulate and massage the statistical data and hospital records to downplay the true extent of this disaster,” she added.

Ms. Deosaran also complained over the NWRHA’s delay in disclosing the medical records of the 11 babies identified by her and her colleagues as possible subjects of a class-action medical negligence lawsuit.

On Tuesday, Bissessar wrote to the families’ legal team indicating that the delay in disclosing the records was because the NWRHA had to make photocopies because they are not electronically stored.

Deosaran also noted that Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh gave assurances over the disclosure while speaking on the issue in Parliament.

“We are yet to be provided with any of our clients’ medical notes and records as promised despite the expiration of his (Deyalsingh’s) self-imposed deadline and public commitment,” she said.

“One does not have to be a rocket scientist to understand why this is so important to our clients in light of their legitimate fears that the medical notes and records could be fraudulently altered to manufacture and fabricate a defence for the NWRHA when there is no basis for same.”

Deosaran’s most recent correspondence primarily sought to detail what transpired with twins Ella and Esme Molino, who died at the hospital on March 18 and April 4.

Why was this baby not properly isolated to minimise the risk of transmission? Why was the medical staff not wearing proper PPE and washing their hands and properly sanitising in accordance with the established and required healthcare protocols for the NICU?” Deosaran asked.

“What is the present status of this baby?—Did that baby die or was the PoSGH able to save that baby’s life? And if so, why was similar care not afforded or given to our clients’ healthy babies who did not have any form of infection at the time they were placed in the NICU?” she added.

While Deosaran commended the NWRHA for agreeing to pay the cost of private psychological counselling for her clients, she suggested that more could be done.

“It is disappointing, however, that no other form of financial assistance was offered for the grieving mothers and we, therefore, anxiously await your proposal in this regard and we refuse to believe that the NWRHA could find money to hire one of the largest law firms in the country to seek its interest but cannot offer one red cent by way of assistance or compensation to these families,” she said.