Independent probe ordered into death of baby during C-Section

Emil Millington's wife, Quelly Ann Cottle, 38, went to the Mount Hope Maternity Hospital on Saturday to have a C-Section to deliver her baby. After the procedure nurses told her the baby died and explained that the child had  a cut to its head stretching from ear to ear.

Chairman of the North-Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) Dr Shehenaz Mohammed immediately asked for a report, which she received Thursday. That led her to launch an independent investigation.

The NCRHA stated in a media release that the preliminary autopsy report found "laceration to right parietal lobe of brain, penetrating injury to right parietal bone, iatrogenic laceration to scalp and severe prematurity."

In translation that means the doctor performing the procedure cut into the baby’s head near the ear area and pene­trated the brain. The Express newspaper quoted one doctor who wanted to remain anonymous: "The knife would have cut straight through and injured the brain of the baby, the lobe and tissue."

The NCRHA said the report of the independent probe would go to Health Min­ister Dr Fuad Khan. 

“We make a commitment to the parents and the public that an independent investigation will take place, and we remain committed to the fa­mily to provide whatever support they need,” Mohammed said.

The Minister raised some questions in an interview with the Express. He wanted to know why an elective Cesarean was performed on a Carnival Saturday without the consultant and senior staff. "I will be reporting to the medical board if I do find any form of negligence,” Khan told the paper.
"I am not going to absolve anybo­dy right now, I want to know who was the consultant in charge and why was this case done as an elective surgery on Carnival Saturday," the minister told the Express.

There are some disturbing details about what happened. If the media reports on the matter are accurate then there is clear evidence not only of negligence but an attempt to cover up.

This is what the Express reported: 

"Millington said hospital staff said they did not have space to store the baby and wanted to cremate his son that same night. 'I told her do not sign any papers; I am not giving any permission for that,' he said.

"Millington said he visited the hospital and was told he could not view his baby and it would take some 30 days to process documents coming from an autopsy.
He said when he went to the Mt Hope hospital, he was informed the baby was sent to the Port of Spain General Hospital, and he had to wait for the body to return to view it."