Woman reportedly dies as chest plate breaks, lungs collapses during CPR at GPHC
DEAD: 74-Y-O Latchmin Parriag
Family members of a pensioner are calling for answers after their relatives succumbed in the Emergency Room of the Georgetown Public Hospital on Friday evening where she as taken after being found unresponsive at home. Dead is 74 year old Latchmin Parriag of North East La Penitence.
Relatives told BIG Smith Crime Watch that after the pensioner was taken to the hospital by an ambulance, she was hooked up to an oxygen tank and she reportedly regained consciousness and was later allowed to be seen by relatives.
However it is reported that while one of the grandchildren who was with her left the room to return, upon returning; was greeted with blood soaked sheet and a dead relative, when questioned, health workers reportedly indicated that the woman began having difficulty breathing again and an attempt to perform CPR on her resulted in a broken chest plate and collapsed lungs.
“Basically what happened; Georgetown Public Hospital kill the woman because she was alright, I am not making any unnecessary allegations against them but people are educated and people know that these things that they are doing are wrong and people not being in a financial state to take their relatives to a private hospital have to be worried that these people will kill your family if you go to the state hospital you know what mean; my grandmother was ok she was unresponsive, after she regained consciousness, the oxygen was knocked out, this boy refuse to put it back in she heart rate drop, somebody tried to perform CPR on her broke her chest plate damage the lungs and they just killed her faster, now kind of health care is that we really getting if that is the health care they are giving to people in Guyana? A grandchild told this publication in an interview.
Two of the woman’s relatives who are in nursing have indicated that the hospital’s emergency staff may have erred when the CPR was performed on the 74 year old in the same way the procedure is done for persons who are less frail. They indicated that when it comes to children and elderly persons, there is a different method that is used in performing CPR in an effort to prevent the breakage of the chest plate and or ending up with a collapsed lungs.
We were told that earlier, someone who was in and out of the emergency room reportedly knocked the oxygen out accidentally, causing the woman to go without same for a prolonged period and when a nurse was asked to reconnect the oxygen, this was not done.
BIG Smith Crime Watch learnt that too from relatives that at the end of the entire ordeal at the facility, relatives were then asked by a medical staff if they would refer the doctor to sign off on the death certificate or they would refer to go the ‘legal route’ as they were alleging edging that the death of the 74 year old was as a result of improper administration of medical care.
Asked about the diagnosis the woman received when she showed up at the Emergency Room, relatives said they were informed that her blood sugar levels were low and she needed oxygen after which she became responsive again, she was fine.
“My mom got the assurance from the doctors that she’s okay and she’ll be fine and only to find out a few minutes after her heart rate dropped they did CPR and was told that sometimes during CPR the lungs collapses (which is untrue and should never happen) and she was bleeding through her mouth and died shortly after” A relative disclosed.
They said the woman would usually visit the hospital for minor checkups and sent home but had no major complications that they were made aware of by any doctor in previous visits.
The family is calling for a thorough investigation into this latest development as they plan to engage the relevant authorities.
Immediate efforts to make contact with the GPHS’s Chief Executive Officer were futile.
