Families of two deceased child cancer patients accept compensation from GPHC
-third family to proceed with lawsuit after failure to reach agreement
The families of two of the three children who died in 2019 at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), after medication was incorrectly administered to them, have accepted compensation from the hospital, while the other is pressing ahead with legal action.
Chelauna Providence, Head of Strategic Planning and Communications at GPHC, confirmed to Stabroek News that two families have decided to accept compensation from the hospital. The families of seven year- old Curwayne Edwards, and three- year old Roshini Seegobin have accepted compensation packages, although the amount agreed was not disclosed.
Meanwhile, Ganesh Hira, attorney for the family of the third victim, Sherezer Mendonca, indicated that they are currently putting together the case file and are likely to file the lawsuit next week.
He explained that the delay for filing the case was based on the fact that Mendonca’s parents were still in negotiation with the hospital on a compensation package. Not satisfied with the package offered, he said the family has decided to move ahead with legal proceedings. He related, too, that the current pandemic has also contributed to the delay in filing the lawsuit.
The victims were all patients at the hospital’s
pediatric ward being treated for leukemia and were treated by the same team of doctors. They fell ill after being administered cancer drugs and later succumbed.
Edwards died on January 14th, while Seegobin, of Enmore, East Coast Demerara, died on January 18th, and Mendonca, of Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, died on January 24th.
The GPHC and the Ministry of Public Health launched separate investigations, which found that the medication was incorrectly administered and standard operating procedures were not followed.
The services of the doctors that were involved in the administering of the treatment were terminated.
The Guyana Medical Council launched its own independent investigation and the doctors are currently before the disciplinary committee making their case.
Head of the Council, Dr Navindranauth Rambaran, told Stabroek News on Wednesday that the disciplinary hearings are continuous and while it is approaching two years, there is no timeline as to when the hearings will be concluded.
He noted that while the public and families are interested in securing justice, the process is a lengthy one and they have been following it. He added that the matter is undergoing final review by the Disciplinary Committee.
Rambaran said that in the preliminary review, the council found that systemic factors contributed to the deaths of the children.
However, with GPHC’s immediate steps to implement new operating standards and protocol, the council is of the view and is “reasonably assured that the possibility of this reoccurring in the future is unlikely.”
Touching on the suspension of the doctors following the launch of the probe, Rambaran said, they have identified some actions of the doctors that were of concern. Nonetheless, he said the council has decided that it was not prudent to temporarily remove them from practice since they did not pose an immediate danger to patients.
Following the conclusion of the investigations of the GPHC and the ministry, the findings were announced by Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Karen Gordon-Boyle, at a press conference, where she explained that the protocols for administering the pre- chemotherapy drugs to the children were not adhered to. The drugs, which were previously not publicly named, were identified as vincristine and methotrexate. GordonBoyle said vincristine was administered intrathecally (administration for drugs via an injection into the spinal canal) rather than intravenously (administration of drugs through the vein with an injection).
The three doctors who were directly involved were relieved of their duties and subsequently sent on administrative leave on January 29th, 2019.