‘Why did Shara die?’

Shara Mohammed

Still dealing with the loss of his girlfriend Shara Mohammed, who died at her Moruga home two weeks after undergoing a Caesarean section at the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) to deliver their first son, Abrahim, Bickram Ramroop, on Monday October 3, said he welcomes the move by the Ministry of Health to audit the hospital’s maternity care services.

The death of the mother of nine has been linked to complications arising out of the surgery.

The weekend deaths of another woman, Nyca Foster, and her baby at the SFGH, prompted action by Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan who on Sunday announced that a special audit team had been appointed to investigate the mortalities at the institution.

Ramroop, 28, said, “While I am happy, I want to know why they waited untill now to do that. Something like that should have been in place a long time ago and if that was so Shara might have been alive today.”

On last Monday, Mohammed, 33, died at her Saunders Trace, Moruga home. On September 11 she gave birth to her ninth child. It was the first time she ever had surgery to deliver a baby. A post mortem revealed that Mohammed’s death was due to pelvic thrombosis.

Ramroop, a fisherman of Gran Chemin, Moruga said he is yet to be contacted by officials of the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA).

Ramroop continued, “I really want to get to know what it is caused the death of my baby’s mother. I will cooperate with them and tell them all that she went through after she had the surgery.”

According to Ramroop, Mohammed’s health deteriorated following her discharge from the hospital two days after giving birth.

“She grew weaker and weaker every day and we were told that she will feel better in three weeks time,” Ramroop continued.

“This is modern times and women must not die in childbirth. I hope to be updated on this matter.”

Speaking on Sunday October 2 at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital, Dr Khan said that the audit team will comprise “a medical person, a surgical person and an obstetrician and gynaecologist and a senior midwife. Meanwhile Ramroop told Newsday that his three-week-old son Abrahim was doing well.

He said, “He is very strong and taking his bottles.”

Ramroop said at the end of the month, baby Abrahim will be separated from his eight brothers and sisters as he will be assuming full custody of his son.

He said, “I will take him at the end of the month to live with me. My mother (Shanti Jaikaran) is looking forward to taking care of her grandson. She is happy with the arrangement.”

Ramroop said he was forced to make the decision to separate his son from his siblings because of the distance he lives from him and the hours he works.

“I love my baby and want to be close to him. I live a far distance from them and it is kind of hard to get to see him everyday. He will be happy.”

Grandmother Mazmoon Mohammed will continue to care for the eight other children. Her late daughter and children shared an apartment downstairs her home.

A relative said, “We will look after the children as we always did. We made a pledge upon her death to do so and that is what my sister would have wanted. We will keep them together.”