Gary Gajadar, the husband of the pregnant Sally Khan, who died at the Mayaro Health Facility on Monday, is seeking answers after a release from the Eastern Regional Health Authority said his wife had been carrying only one child.The ERHA issued a release yesterday, saying Khan, 37, was 33 weeks pregnant with a single baby when she died.But Gajadar said again yesterday he was told his wife was carrying twins.
In an interview at his Mayaro home, which he shared with Khan and their four-year-old daughter Jada, Gajadar said his wife was a patient at the prenatal clinic at Sangre Grande.During the course of her pregnancy, he said, she developed gestational diabetes. He had previously said she also had high blood pressure.Gajadar said an ultrasound was done to see the image of the foetus in the womb, and she was told she was having twin boys. He said he had been looking forward to the birth.
Khan's relatives took her to the health facility on Monday evening after she started frothing at the mouth. Her sisters-in-law Giselle and Gillian Gajadar thought she was in labour.Gillian said by the time they got to the hospital she had no heartbeat and was pronounced dead shortly after.However, Gillian said the babies were still alive but the facility lacked the equipment to save them.
She said the journey to Sangre Grande where the equipment was available, was 45 minutes' drive away and the other alternative, San Fernando General Hospital, was two hours away.Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan confirmed that the Mayaro hospital lacked the equipment to save the babies if they were still alive when their mother died.He said he was awaiting a full report on the incident.
ERHA: No signs of life
In the release, the ERHA conveyed condolences to Khan's relatives, and offered support and counselling.The statement said Khan had no recordable signs of life when she was brought to the health facility and did not respond to advanced cardiac resuscitation procedures that were done on her.The ERHA said the final report will be submitted within the 30-day deadline to its CEO, the chairman of its board, the Chief Medical Officer and the Minister of Health.
"The process has begun and a preliminary report has been compiled," the statement said.