‘I’m not sure I’ll ever get over their deaths’
FATHER MOURNS WIFE AND DAUGHTER AS HOSPITAL CRITICISED FOR CARE FAILURE
AN EAST LONDON hospital failed in delivering multi-disciplinary planning, close monitoring and appropriate escalation which led to the death of a pregnant mother-of-three and her baby last year, an inquest has heard.
Sumera Haq, 37 and her newborn daughter Ayra Butt died just two days apart after she was transferred to a ward at Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone in August 2021.
Haq, a primary school teacher at South Grove Primary School in Walthamstow, contracted Covid-19 when she was eight months’ pregnant with her third child.
At the hospital, the initial treatment was given in the labour ward. When her condition did not improve, she was shifted to the medical ward.
Three days later, she died from multiple organ failure, abdominal bleeding, Covid-19 infection and pneumonia on August 14, an inquest heard.
Haq also suffered from an acute kidney injury and on August 11, her haemoglobin level was deemed low.
Ayra was delivered by caesarean section, but she lived only 15 minutes.
An inquest at the east London coroner’s court said Haq died following “a lack of clinical leadership”, the MailOnline reported.
Coroner Nadia Persaud ruled that Haq should not have been given blood thinners and no “adequate emergency action” was taken before her death.
Her husband, Kasim Butt, a delivery driver, said the past year has been “a living nightmare” which he wouldn’t wish on anyone.
“Sumera was a wonderful wife and the best mum any child could ever want. She went out of her way to help others and her death at an age when she had her best years ahead of her, has been particularly difficult to come to terms with,” he was quoted as saying. “Those few days and trying to come to terms with the death of Ayra, while Sumera was also slipping away from us is something I’m not sure I’ll ever get over.
“When I saw Ayra she was beautiful. I just held her and cried my eyes out. I’ll cherish what little but precious time I had with her.
“Being at Sumera’s bedside and holding her hand as her body shut down
in front of my eyes and knowing there wasn’t anything I could do to help or save her was heart-breaking.”
Reports said that more than £20,000 was raised by well-wishers to be donated to orphanages in third world countries on behalf of the child.
“We offer our sincere condolences
to the family of Sumera Haq. The standard of care she should have received was not met on this occasion. Whipps Cross Hospital has made significant improvements since to ensure this does not happen again,” a spokesperson for Whipps Cross Hospital was quoted as saying.