SERHA makes recommendations in wake of baby's death at Spanish Town Hospital

 Tuesday, June 29, 2021

ST CATHERINE, Jamaica— The South East Regional Health Authority (SERHA) says it has completed its investigation into the treatment of Shanique Armstrong, whose baby died after delivery at the Spanish Town Hospital in St Catherine earlier this month.

The 26-year-old woman, who went into pre-term labour in the waiting area of the hospital's Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, said that her cries for help went unanswered by hospital staff, including nurses, whom she said insisted that they were not trained to deliver babies.

No doctor was reportedly available at the time.

According to a statement from SERHA, it has made several recommendations to the hospital for ''immediate implementation''

They include:

• The reorganisation of the operations at the Spanish Town Hospital;
• Have midwives provide direct patient care to pregnant women;
• Discontinue the practice of bedpans for a miscarriage and implement the use of incontinent pads and/or adult diapers;
• Provide grief counselling to women who miscarry;
• Prevent a reoccurrence as that experienced by Ms Armstrong by having Case Manager, Public Health Nurse  or Social Worker assist pregnant women in the navigation of the health and social care systems; and
• · Reorganise the care system for persons suspected with COVID-19 within the hospital to accommodate women who are in early pregnancy.

''The Spanish Town Hospital Management Committee must now move to ensure that these recommendations are put in place to prevent any similar occurrence as that experienced by Ms Shanique Armstrong,'' the agency said. 

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