Ministry claims emergency staff provided optimal care to asthma patient

Jul 21, 2025 News

Minister of Health Frank Anthony

Kaieteur News – Nearly two days after 22-year-old Ronica Niles died while receiving care at the Diamond Regional Hospital, the Ministry of Health asserted that emergency personnel had moved promptly and utilised all means to treat the young woman.

Niles’ family is alleging medical negligence, claiming that the hospital staff failed to act swiftly or appropriately during her emergency. They also claimed that Niles died as a result of a malfunctioning oxygen tank and slow response by medical staff. Niles, who was a known asthma patient and a frequent visitor to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), died on Friday morning after being rushed to the Diamond hospital by her family.

However, in a statement issued on Sunday, the health ministry presented a very different version of events. According to the ministry, Niles arrived at the Accident and Emergency Unit at approximately 11:50 hrs. with severe respiratory distress. “While being triaged, she became unresponsive. Emergency medical personnel immediately initiated resuscitative measures, including cardiac monitoring, oxygen therapy using bag-valve-mask ventilation, and the establishment of intravenous access,” the ministry said.

The ministry further added that when Niles arrived at the hospital, she was in a severe condition. “Her oxygen saturation on room air was severely low at 32 per cent (normal levels are typically above 95 per cent). She was also significantly impaired in consciousness, registering a Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score of 6 out of 15, indicating a severe neurological compromise,” the statement read.

Dead: Ronicia Niles

The medical team, according to the ministry, had exercised sufficient efforts. However, Niles’ condition further declined. “Despite the team’s efforts, the patient experienced cardiac arrest during treatment,” the ministry said. The ministry explained the medical procedure conducted by the medical team. “She was successfully intubated, and her condition was stabilised to the extent possible. Given the severity of her clinical state, arrangements were made for urgent transfer to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for continued intensive care. Her vital signs were closely monitored throughout, and GPHC was promptly informed to ensure readiness for her arrival.”

Additionally, the ministry asserted that Niles’ family had been kept informed throughout the process. “The ministry remains committed to providing the highest standard of emergency care and expresses its heartfelt sympathy to all affected by this loss,” the statement concluded.

Still, the family refuted the ministry’s claims. Raphael Niles insisted that while his sister’s condition was serious, she walked into the hospital, was talking, and was responsive—contrary to the ministry’s suggestion that she was already unresponsive during triage. “I want them to realise my sister was walking, she was talking, she was responding,” he said. According to Raphael, oxygen was only administered after she collapsed, and the family believes more could have been done earlier to prevent her deterioration. “Before the administering treatment to my sister they had my sister responding to form, despite them seeing my sister panting for breath. They didn’t try everything, “he said. “ They decided to hook up the oxygen onto her when she collapsed. So their urgency in response was not there,” Raphael said, arguing that there was a delay in administering proper medical treatment.

He also criticised the lack of communication from GPHC after her transfer, stating that their parents were not kept informed. “GPHC never kept my parents informed and they were not getting any information given to the point where the doctor didn’t know how to tell them that my sister passed and that they took her off the ventilator. My parents were in the dark the entire time,” Raphael said.

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asthma, Diamond Hospital, Frank Anthony, Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation, Ronicia Niles

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