Bodoe: Probe maternal deaths

Making his contribution to the Budget debate in the House of Representatives on Friday, Bodoe, an obstetrician by profession, described the situation as “unsatisfactory.” He referred to the recent death of Sheevana Sookram, 31, at the Sangre Grande Hospital, who was reported to have died from medical complications relating to the pregnancy and three others at the San Fernando General Hospital, over the past few months. Her family has since called for an investigation. “It affects family, co-workers and friends, sometimes an entire community. The fallout is tremendous. It is a sad, unfortunate incident when it happens,” Bodoe said of women who have lost their lives while giving birth.

Saying he was “flabbergasted” by Health Minister Terrance Deyalsingh’s prediction, in a television interview on May 17, that there would be 2-3 maternal deaths at the Mt Hope Women’s Hospital before the end of the year, Bodoe alluded to countries that have placed high priority on minimising maternal deaths.

Singling out the United Kingdom and some of the Norwegian countries, Bodoe said maternal deaths were usually the number of women who die during pregnancy per 100,000 births over a period.

“In the UK, it is about ten or less per 100,000,” he claimed.

“But, our current figures have stayed somewhere between 30 and 40 per 100,000.

Why is this happening?” Bodoe referred to a report of the Dr Winston Welch-led committee which suggested, in part, that it was time the Ministry of Health consider establishing a post called Director of Women’s Health Care to address maternal deaths with respect to procedures and protocols.

The committee was established by Cabinet last November to review the levels of healthcare delivery by the regional health authorities and to examine the system of public sector doctors in private practice.

On the flip side, Bodoe appealed for the implementation of a no-fault compensation scheme for the families of mothers who died during pregnancy.

Bodoe said despite the fact that doctors and nurses may do everything possible for pregnant mothers, they may still die-- a situation which he said was sometimes unavoidable.

“I make this point only to indicate that it is perhaps something that the Member for San Fernando West (Faris Al-Rawi) can look at,” he said.

“Perhaps, it is time to look at what is commonly termed a no fault compensation because at the end of the day, the families sometimes end up taking this to court and with all due respect to all of the attorneys present here, including you Madam Speaker, sometimes at the end of the day, the patient’s family gets virtually nothing and the legal team benefits.

I am not saying that in any bad way.” Bodoe also called for the establishment of a system of medical insurance for obstetricians.

“What has already happened in the US is that because of the insurance many obstetricians have opted not to practice. Therefore, the time may be right to look at some form of ceiling for change with regard to these issues,” he said.