‘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.”

Vendors in street brawl

A cutlass attack on a group of vendors on Mucurapo Street, San Fernando on Saturday October 1 left passers-by scampering for safety and business people rushing to close their doors against the unruly crowd. One person had to be treated at hospital. 

According to police reports at about 5.30 pm Saturday, a well-known CD and DVD vendor began arguing with another vendor accusing him of encroaching on his turf on Mucurapo Street. As the quarrel escalated, the vendor and one of his associates pulled out two cutlasses and began brandishing them at the man he had earlier accused of occupying part of his space.

As the man began firing chops, other vendors joined in the fracas, sending frightened passers-by running for cover and worried business owners hurrying to close their doors for fear of being attacked. Store owners along Mucurapo Street said that for years they have complained about the vendors in front their store. They say the attacker is a nuisance who is in the habit of playing music very loudly all day and night so much so that a doctor who has his private practice on the street is at pains to hear his patients.

The business people who spoke on condition of anonymity say they are powerless against the man as he is very violent and boasts that he is a friend of the police. In fact, they say when they call both the City Police and the San Fernando Police they seldom come. The police reportedly took more than 20 minutes to arrive on the scene, giving the attackers ample time to brandish their cutlasses and threaten the rival group of DVD vendors. Newsday was in time to see a bottle striking a vendor in his face as the fracas intensified.

When police arrived on the scene, they were forced to call for back-up but the attackers were eventually disarmed and taken to the police station. 

One person was taken to the hospital.

Street vending in San Fernando has been a source of contention over the years, so much so that about three months ago, a San Fernando magistrate summoned Mayor Marlene Coudray, and the CEO Deodath Ragoobar of the San Fernando City Corporation to court. The magistrate had instructed them to clear the streets of all vendors, telling them that by doing so the police will be free to attend to other matters. To date, High Street and Mucurapo Street, the two major thoroughfares remain crowded with vendors. Responding to news of the fracas, Coudray reminded that street vending is illegal in San Fernando.  

She said some vendors were issued with licenses but they have since expired. Coudray said that she met recently with vendors, taxi drivers, and members of traffic management of the Ministry of Works to discuss the crowding in the city and a decision was taken to reinstate the taxi stand on Mucurapo Street, and the area where the vendors currently occupy will revert to a taxi stand. The mayor, meanwhile, is calling n the police to monitor the situation and pay close attention to what is happening.