Labour induction led to maternal death- family members

Last Updated on Saturday, 26 December 2015, 21:01 by GxMedia

Family members of a 40-year old woman, who died while delivering twins, are demanding that the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) explain why labour was induced.

Sharon Bowman of Bachelor’s Adventure, East Coast Demerara never regained consciousness and died on September 17, eight days after she was admitted for delivery.

The death certificate, seen by Demerara Waves Online News (www.demwaves.com), states that the disease or condition leading directly to the cause of death was severe pneumonia, the antecedent cause giving rise to death was hypoxic encephalopathy (brain damage due to insufficient oxygen) and severe eclampsia (convulsions in a pregnant woman which follows a period of high blood pressure and protein in the urine).

Her daughter, Olivia Bowman, is disputing those findings, saying that her mother was never diagnosed with any ailment prior to her delivery date. This was reiterated by the dead woman’s husband, Colin Bownman.

He said one of the twins was delivered normally and the other was via Caesarean Section. He recalled doctors telling him that his wife had suffered a fit and her heart had stopped beating for 10 seconds. She was subsequently taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where she succumbed several days later.

An official of the GPHC said that medical institution did not know anything about that occurrence. Family members plan to lodge complaints with the GPHC and other relevant medical authorities.

The Guyana government has openly admitted that there is a high rate of maternal mortality- 280 maternal deaths per 100,000 persons-resulting in Guyana being unable to achieve the United Nations’ Millenium Development Goal