Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Mar 02, 2014 News
“My belief now is that Georgetown Hospital is the best, and it is free, and that is most amazing when you think about it…There have been so many bad reports about the hospital, but those people took such good care of me, and that has left me thinking so differently about that place.” – Penny Morris
By Sharmain Grainger
Penny Morris’ celebration of her baby’s ninth day of existence on Wednesday last was nothing short of special. The four-time mother is convinced that her latest son’s arrival into the world and her ability to care for him today can only be described as “miraculous.”
You see, the resident of West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, has no doubt that God used the expertise of medical officials at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) to save both she and her baby’s lives, even when she hadn’t the faith to believe that the institution had such capabilities.
Moreover, Morris’ perception of the GPHC has completely changed, and she is only too eager to spread the word. And it was just that she sought to do during an interview with this publication as she, with a grateful grin, cuddled her newborn.
But seeking medical care at the GPHC, or any other public hospital for that matter, was the furthest thing from Morris’ mind as she prepared for the arrival of her fourth child. It was around May of last year that the 42-year-old mother of three boys had found out that she was pregnant again.
FEARFUL
Although she had three uneventful deliveries, one at the Davis Memorial Hospital and two at the GPHC, reports in the media of the deaths of a woman and her baby at the GPHC during delivery had evoked immense fear.
“Because I was so fearful for my life and baby I decided I just wasn’t going there to get my baby,” the woman confided during her interview.
Her decision was also premised on the fact that her pregnancy was deemed high-risk because of her age. Moreover, she started clinic at a reputable private hospital in the city where she planned on being delivered when the time came.
But by the time she was nearly 40 weeks along, Morris said that an examination by a doctor at the private hospital concluded that she had two fibroids in her uterus. In fact it was further deduced by the medical official that the presence of the tumours had the potential of causing physical deformities to Morris’ unborn child.
The disclosure by the doctor was in fact in response to Morris’ complaints of severe pains to her lower abdominal area.
According to the woman, during her three previous pregnancies she had never felt such pain and was inclined to believe every word that was uttered by the doctor at the private facility.
She was further presented with a recommendation to have a Caesarean Section (C-Section) done rather than wait for normal delivery, which was estimated to be near.
Morris, an Aviation Security Officer attached to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, was certainly prepared to do whatever was necessary to ensure the wellbeing of her unborn child.
COSTLY PREDICAMENT
But although she was able to accumulate the $90,000 required to facilitate normal delivery, securing an additional $260,000 for the C-Section was found to be a rather difficult task.
In recognition of the predicament, Morris’ reputed husband, Leon Rosemay, was soon fervently recommending that she change her mind about the GPHC, since not only is the service there free but she would be able to get another opinion about the situation.
“I was determined not to go there…I was scared but he kept telling me if he’s taking me to any hospital that it’s the same (public) hospital he will be taking me,” Morris recounted.
“I was desperately trying to raise the money to get the C-Section done at the private hospital but I simply couldn’t make the money,” she added.
It was at this point, she recalled, that she went against her judgment to heed the suggestion of her husband. She was able to make contact with a “doctor friend” employed at the public health institution, who after hearing her situation made arrangements for her to be attended to there.
However, Morris’ move to inform medical officials at the private hospital of her decision did not go down too well.
“They kept telling me that their (clinic) card wouldn’t work at the Georgetown (Public) Hospital…they were telling me all kinds of things and I was wondering why at the last moment they were telling me all these things,” Morris reflected.
However, receiving medical care at the GPHC almost didn’t happen, as according to the woman, when she arrived at the public hospital’s Maternity Unit she was met by an uncouth nurse who seemed quite unwilling to even hear why she was there. However, the situation was soon appeased when a nice-mannered nurse approached her and wasted no time in reversing the discouragement with genuine “nursing charm.”
Morris recalled being subjected to a number of tests after which it was concluded that she had no fibroids. However, there was evidence of some other complication.
TREMENDOUS PAIN
Morris’ delivery by this time was way overdue. In the second week of clinic at the public hospital she recalled being attended to by a female doctor who started requesting information about her pregnancy history.
“She even started asking me if I was getting twins, but I knew I wasn’t getting twins because the ultrasound showed only one baby, but she kept saying ‘something isn’t right here; you should’ve already delivered,’” Morris related.
Morris would eventually learn that since her baby was overdue she had started to lose the fluid needed to cushion and safeguard her baby inside her womb. This resulted in her baby being unable to move and caused her considerable discomfort as well. As such, medical officials at the public hospital were tasked with administering drips, which helped to address the problem to some extent.
Moreover, a decision was made on February 17 to admit Morris, who was at the time experiencing “tremendous pain.”
A male doctor, who also attended to her, saw the need to induce labour urgently, a disclosure which plunged the expectant mother into a state of depression.
She recalled that since all of her previous deliveries were normal, it was quite difficult to accept what was being recommended.
“The doctor started carrying out a set of tests on me and I just started asking why he couldn’t just cut me and take out the baby and get it over with. Do whatever y’all have I keep telling him, because the pain was so much, and the way he kept looking at other doctors there with him, I know something was very wrong.”
“I keep telling him if I have to die, let me die, just save my baby,” a tearful Morris recalled.
SAFE DELIVERY
According to the woman, the doctor insisted that there was no reason to perform a C-Section, especially in light of the fact that she hadn’t been required to do so previously. In fact Morris remembers the doctor assuring her that he would do everything in his power to ensure that she had a safe delivery. This however did not prevent her blood pressure from soaring.
Her condition saw all attempts to induce labour being rescheduled for the following day.
“I prayed and I called my pastors and they prayed for me and I just started preparing myself, my mind, and everything, for whatever would happen…I was determined to do whatever I had to do to let my baby live, even if I had to die,” said Morris.
She recalled seeing about five doctors encircling the hospital bed in which she lay, as she anticipated the worse but somehow kept hoping for the best.
“These people started checking me and repeating that process over and over, it was like they were taking extra precaution with me…they treated me like they really cared,” said an appreciative Morris.
Labour was eventually induced on the morning of February 18 and keen monitoring of Morris continued.
“Even though I was feeling so much pain, I somehow knew that they were doing their best for me.”
In fact, Morris recalled that by the time the doctors signalled to the midwife on duty that she was ready to be delivered, “that woman literally sprinted with me, in a wheelchair, to the labour room.”
With the support of the midwife, she remembers as “Nurse Profitt”, Morris was able to deliver a healthy baby boy. His father has since named him Leron Leon Rosemay.
Morris is convinced that hadn’t she opted to turn to the GPHC, she could have been outwitted of thousands of dollars and even worse, she, along with her baby, could’ve been dead.
“My belief now is that Georgetown Hospital is the best, and it is free, and that is most amazing when you think about it…There have been so many bad reports about the hospital, but those people took such good care of me, and that has left me thinking so differently about that place,” Morris admitted.
She even confessed that she was guilty of ridiculing the hospital, but “they are trying to do better, I have no doubt about that and today I am encouraging others to take advantage of the quality service offered there; I am speaking from my own experience.”
Meanwhile, Morris is currently enjoying her time with her bouncing baby boy, as is the rest of the family, especially his two paternal aunts, Susie and Joann, both of whom are also taking special care of their adorable nephew.
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
Apr 19, 2024
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