Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan is expected to receive a final report today on the death of Sasha Bisnath-Ali who died last December after undergoing a caesarian section at a private hospital.In a brief interview, Khan said he had received preliminary information on Bisnath-Ali's death but was awaiting a final report from a specially-appointed team, led by acting Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr Akenath Misir.
Khan referred further questions to Misir.Contacted on his cellphone, Misir said the investigating team would complete its probe by today."I gave them a deadline for the report to be completed by February 8 but it is still ongoing. They will do a report of findings and make recommendations," Misir said.
He declined to identify the members of the team.Asked whether disciplinary action was a possibility, Misir said: "I don't want to jump to conclusions. Let us wait on the report and then make a determination."
Meanwhile, Bisnath-Ali's husband, Damien, said he had retained a senior counsel and planned to file a lawsuit.
Damien said: "I want justice for my wife's death. We have had too many cases where innocent people died because of negligence."He said the Ministry of Health had not been keeping him abreast of the investigation but he had received medical reports from the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) and the Gulf View Medical Complex, where Bisnath-Ali was first admitted.
"We have handed these reports to our attorneys and they expect to file legal action within the next few weeks. We have also hired doctors to look at the reports to determine what went wrong," Damien said.
An autopsy on Bisnath-Ali's body said she died from disseminated intra-vascular coagulation and bleeding diathesis post C-section.
Damien said he had been receiving psychiatric help and counselling. However, he said it was difficult when his two-year-old daughter, Solara, asked about her mother."I don't know what to tell her. I just say that Mommy is now in heaven. I cannot say that she died," Damien said.He added that his attorney was also involved in a similar case centred on Crystal Ramsoomair, who died last March at the San Fernando General Hospital after a caesarian section.
Ramsoomair's death resulted in a policy change at the hospital whereby doctors scheduled for elective procedures are not scheduled for clinics or on-call duties. Bisnath-Ali died on December 20, a day after she delivered her baby Siara through a planned caesarean section operation at the Gulf View Medical Complex.After severe complications developed, she was transferred to San Fernando General Hospital where she died.