For Romario Murray, October 12, 2020 couldn’t come soon enough. It was the day set for his 25-year-old girlfriend, Sakile Stewart, to have their first child together. However, after Stewart was admitted for a standard checkup at the Noel Holmes Hospital in Hanover, Murray, instead of making plans to be a first-time father, is now busy making plans for the funerals of both his girlfriend and unborn child, who he alleges, died as a result of negligence on the part of the hospital’s staff, after being admitted to a ward he feels has turned his life into a nightmare.
“We didn’t even have the chance to try again for another one,” a mourning Murray shared with the Western Mirror.
“I lost them both – my child and my baby mother, and it all comes down to one word – negligence.”
Murray’s recollection of the events leading up to the tragedy surrounding his girlfriend and unborn child begin with his girlfriend, Sakile, making a visit to the Noel Holmes Hospital in Lucea, Hanover, for a checkup.
“At no point throughout her pregnancy was she sick or anything like that, but she decided to visit the hospital for a checkup. We thought she was just going to get a simple treatment and get discharged, but that was not the case. It turns out she had high blood pressure, so the hospital decided to admit her on Thursday (September 24, 2020),” Murray explained.
Murray revealed that even while admitted, Stewart had been in dialogue with him, keeping him abreast of what was happening to her. Her last update for him came when she indicated that she had heard some chatter from the doctors and nurses about inducing labour.
“She told me that the doctors on the ward said the reason why her pressure was so high was because of the baby, and because of that, they couldn’t let her out without inducing labour, because as long as she had the baby in her, her pressure would stay that way,” Murray shared.
DOCUMENT SIGNED
Following that revelation, Murray said Stewart reached out to him again, after she was asked to sign a document at the hospital. “She said they gave her a paper to sign, but that she didn’t understand what it said or what it meant. She told me she asked a nurse, and a nurse told her it was basically about the doctors inducing labour.”
Murray visited the hospital afterwards, and was given a prescription to fill for Stewart, but after searching some five pharmacies in the Lucea area, he had no luck.
The next news Murray heard from the hospital was that Stewart had died. Though distraught, Murray held hope the hospital at least managed to save his child. He was crushed to learn that they hadn’t.
“I had some time to visit her before all of that, and around two o’ clock that day, she was doing alright. Around 3 o’ clock, she started complaining of shortness of breath, and asked if she could be moved to the Savanna-la-Mar Hospital, but was told no. After that, someone who saw her after we left said she coughed up blood, and in the blink of an eye, died.”
ANSWERS NEEDED
Now, Murray needs answers, and his mother, Almena Martin, has joined him in his quest.
“She didn’t die in labour, because when we guh visit her, she did alright, and she wasn’t in any kinda labour, so somebody need fi gi wi some answers!” exclaimed an emotional Martin, she spoke to this newsroom following that tragedy. “You mean fi tell mi seh dem couldn’t at least save di baby? You a try tell we seh di baby dead immediately as the mother dead? Dat nuh soun’ right and we need answers!”
Martin also revealed that when they were called to identify Stewart, she was already wrapped up in a white cloth and tagged. She further shared that when they asked why the child couldn’t be saved, she was allegedly told no doctors were available to perform a C-section.
It was revealed to the Western Mirror that Murray, Stewart’s brother and another family member, were called to a hospital for a meeting following what happened, but they left with no new information.
“They called us for a meeting, but it sounded more like they were wishing us condolences. We got no answers to explain what happened to Sakile and our unborn child,” Murray pointed out.
The family is calling on Minister of Health, Dr. Christopher Tufton, to investigate their case.
In the meanwhile, efforts to contact the Noel Homes Hospital proved futile up to press time.
Wow smh! The negligence of the Jamaican healthcare system! I wish to be never be sick in Jamaica while visiting
How many women die in childbirth in the USA every year smh
What’s your point? The article is about Jamaica n the medical system here is horrible. I have been in a couple hospitals in Kingston and not only are they run down n dirty the staff is usually unprofessional and the nurses act like they’re in a high school health class. It’s a F*^*ing joke. My good friend died years ago because of hospital negligence he bled out for 4 hours while they tried to locate a doctor to do surgery. Do better Jamaica. Rest In Peace to her n her baby. Only god know.
Again, come on nurses man and everyday uno want raise, u guys need to treat pregnancy with urgency man
one of my worst fears
Fuss me a hear bout dah bbc hospital yah!! Mi rather stay home and dead good than guh certain hospital guh dead like dog. These nurses were not ready and will never be ready!!!!
DONT BASH THE DOCTORS OR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM, OUT OF THE HUNDREDS OF BABIES THAT GET DELIVER EVERY DAY/WEEK THE PECENTAGE OF DEATHS IS VERY SMALL IS JUST THAT ITS A SAD THING TO KNOW A MOTHER AND CHILD HAVE DIED BUT IN TIME AS WITH EVERYTHING THE HURT AND PAIN WILL GET LESS AND LIFE GOES ON
Every life matters as a healthcare worker. This was by every means negligence. By all means do everything you can to save a persons life. Not having readily available meds and personnel to get the job done is negligence/ malpractice.
The fact that all that could be done was not done is the problem
Your comment is dog sh*t… The medical system and workers here are a joke. Jamaica isn’t a 3rd world country but it’s medical sure is… that’s why all your politicians fly to Miami for medical treatment.
An attempt should’ve been made to save the baby…Oh God man..She was probably pre-eclamptic at that point but there are IV meds for that. I dunno if its negligence or lack of resources and trained personnel…That poor girl….My heart hurts for her parents.
you in a hospital and have to be searching down the place for Meds so what it at the hospital KMFT
Again Jamaica’s healthcare system needs an overhaul seems she had preeclampsia/ eclampsia. Readily available meds could of solved that problem. Having the significant other or family member search to get meds is not acceptable. Time is of the essence and very critical in healthcare. Condolences to the family.
Let me get this straight. They were going to induce labor and yet had NO PHYSICIAN ON STAFF TO PERFORM C-SECTION?. Were they just going to hope all went well. Some damn serial killer nurse or doctor in that place. They need to investigate the hospital top to bottom. My condolences to the Murray and Stewart family.
It’s negligence the family should sue the shit out of the hospital and overseeing physician. Something ain’t right about this case
my sincere condolences, rest in paradise beautiful.
only mad people have baby in jamaican hospital, better fly go cuba, mexico or miami.
Oh come on now…bad to bad…Yard not THAT bad!!!
Yea it is… clearly. Did u read the article?
Lucea hospital is a joke. They can handle simple things, but don’t go there for nothing too complex. It is grossly understaffed and just lacking in every way. It is a pity that neither mother nor child could be saved in this tragedy.
The hospital needs better management, governance and accountability. Gunshot wounds is not the only trauma incidents that a hospital has to face. Needing an immediate c-section is a major issue. There are times not one single doctor is in the hospital and I know this for a fact. Now where on God’s green earth will you go to a hospital and not one doctor is there, irrespective of discipline. No doctor whatsoever at certain times. Hospital don’t run so. A hospital operating 24/7 should have doctors on staff around the clock. Tufton out here pushing poles into strange holes instead of concentrating on protecting the citizens by providing reliable health care.