DANGRIGA, Stann Creek District, Thurs. Oct. 25, 2018– Two recent deaths at the Southern Regional Hospital (SRH) have sparked concerns and allegations of negligence on the hospital’s part. These claims have already led to a protest, and may very well lead to an investigation.
The first death occurred on October 7. Twenty-year-old first-time mother, Jayeisha Parchue, sought medical attention at SRH after she felt acute pain in her stomach. Parchue’s mother, Marsha Romero, took her to the hospital twice on Friday, October 5, and she was sent back home after being given intravenous fluids (drips) and an injection.
On Saturday morning, October 7, Parchue and her mother went back to the hospital a third time, and she was admitted into the hospital after medical staff diagnosed that she was suffering from gastritis.
After she was admitted, things went awry. According to Parchue’s mother, the nurses and doctors could not decide how to treat her daughter. First, the doctors said Parchue needed to get an ultrasound, which was not done. Instead, she was given an X-ray exam, which showed that she had an abscess in her stomach that was squeezing her intestine.
The following day another doctor visited Parchue, and told her mother that she needed to undergo surgery. This led to further confusion, as other staff members later told Romero that no surgery was needed because it was just a case of gastritis.
There was a back-and- forth between the two sides – no surgery needed or surgery needed — about the best course to take. Later, the doctor who had suggested the surgery told Romero that he was sending Parchue to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City so that she could undergo surgery. Before sending her, however, he told Romero he would do a urine test, blood test, and another X-ray.
Romero then left the hospital to pack a bag for her and her daughter to go to Belize City. When she returned, she saw that her daughter was connected to an oxygen tank.
Later the same day the staff of the hospital decided to disconnect her from the oxygen tank in order to do an X-ray. Romero remained in the room while her partner accompanied her daughter to the room to get the X-ray.
Not long after, he returned, asking for help because he couldn’t hold up Parchue alone so that the X-ray could be done. Romero followed her partner to the room where the X-ray would be done, but before it was carried out Parchue passed away.
The second controversial death at the SRH was that of an employee of the Dangriga Town Council, Elroy Flores. We couldn’t ascertain the exact date of Flores’ death, but it was shortly after Parchue’s death.
Flores, a member of the Southern Workers Union, visited SRH on the day of his death and was told that he was well. The practitioner that attended him even told him they were reducing his medication intake. They then sent Flores home.
That very same day, Flores passed away, and the other members of the union blame the hospital for being negligent. The union was even moved to stage a protest in front of the hospital on Tuesday, October 23.
According to Minister of Health, Hon. Pablo Marin, the first step that is to be taken is an investigation of the incidents by Ministry of Health (MoH) officials. Then, if necessary, the Ministry would need to bring in outside experts to look into the matter as well. Although the Minister said that there isn’t a definite timeline for the investigation, MoH officials are presently looking into the matter.