What really happened at Andrews Memorial Hospital
JODIAN FEARON’S death has deeply disturbed and angered many of us. She developed complications in labour, and after significant and unacceptable delays in her management, eventually died. I have seen many of the comments in social media about her situation and the widespread expression of anger is understandable.
Like many of you, I, too, was angry and perplexed at the alleged obstacles she encountered. However, I had declined to publicly comment on the tragic event as I did not want to make assumptions or jump to conclusions without finding out, from reliable sources and eyewitnesses, what really transpired.
I attended to a patient on the maternity unit at Andrews Memorial Hospital (AMH) the day after Jodian was transferred. While there, I spoke with nurses on the ward, and later also contacted other medical personnel who directly attended to her.
I realise many things that are being said about Jodian’s management are not true, and that the hospital and its staff are being unfairly vilified. The impression many people get is that she was denied medical care at AMH. This is simply not true.
WASN’T REFUSED TREATMENT
Jodian was not turned away or refused treatment at the hospital. She was admitted there last Thursday in early labour. When, during the course of her labour, she was found to be having a fever and respiratory symptoms, COVID-19 was a consideration as we are in the midst of a pandemic and she was exhibiting the cardinal symptoms of the disease. Her doctor was informed, and as the hospital does not have an isolation area for patients with the infection, attempts were made to transfer her to the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) or the Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH), but neither facility accepted her.
The nurses on the maternity unit at Andrews continued to take care of Jodian, monitoring her overnight on the ward. They gave her intravenous fluid, medication and oxygen and were prepared to deliver her.
At some point, the decision was made to deliver her by Caesarean section. Her doctor was present and willing. The nurses on the maternity unit and in the operating room were ready. The paediatrician was present and ready. However, the anaesthetist who was called was unwilling to do the case. It was at this point arrangements were made to transfer the patient to Spanish Town Hospital
I was also reliably informed that four other anaesthetists made themselves available to assist with the operation, including two who have pre-existing medical conditions and would have been willing to take the risk of managing the patient even if she had COVID19. However, for reasons which are unclear, the patient departed for the Spanish Town Hospital, where she eventually delivered.
Patient confidentiality protocols prevent me from divulging certain details, but what I can tell you is that the nurses on the ward did what they were supposed to do. I am sharing this information because there is a lot of misinformation in social media about the case, and some seriously damaging and vitriolic comments are being unfairly directed at the institution and its staff. Having worked with the nurses on the maternity unit there, especially those who attended to Jodian, I cannot sit and watch people throw them and the institution under the bus and say nothing.
I grieve for Jodian. I do not know why she died, and I believe a post-mortem would be useful in this regard. There are many questions to be answered, such as why UHWI and VJH did not accept her when initially contacted, or why, when other anaesthetists offered their services, the case was not done at AMH. I am not trying to shift or direct blame in any particular direction. There are details that I do not know, but what I do know is that the staff at AMH who were managing her did not turn their backs on her, as many believe.