Controversy now surrounds the death of Nurse Vanessa Maynard, 56, who passed away at the Infectious Disease Hospital, Liliendaal, East Coast Demerara, yesterday. Her relatives say that her demise could have been avoided had she not been at the receiving end for ‘inept’ care by hospital staff during her 11-day stay at the facility.
Maynard’s relatives and members of the main Parliamentary Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) held a press conference this afternoon, during which, they called for a reassessment of COVID-19 care in the country, noting that the protocols that govern the administration of care at the facility are ‘not strategic and comprehensive’.
Maynard’s niece, Kizzie, told reporters that her aunt kept in touch with relatives during the time she was hospitalised. She said that Maynard bitterly complained about the purported neglect she faced. She said that Maynard had to allegedly ‘bribe’ nurses just to be escorted to the bathroom and to heat her food. Maynard, according to her relatives, was diabetic but was still being served food high in sugar by hospital staff. According to the now-dead woman’s relatives, Maynard also complained about the stocking up of excretion matter in bedpans, which forced her to reduce her liquid intake, thereby causing concentration of urine, and ultimately leading the 56-year-old to become dehydrated.
Shadow Minister of Legal Affairs, and acting Opposition Leader, Roysdale Forde, S.C., and Shadow Health Minister, Dr. Karen Cummings, who were present during the press conference expressed condolences to Maynard’s family, before blaming the government for the woman’s death.
Forde said that the facility is a “step away from the mortuary”, while reiterating his call for the formulation of a comprehensive approach to COVID-19 care. He said that Maynard’s death illustrates the ‘incompetence’ of the administration to save lives during the pandemic.
Maynard’s relatives told the media that the hospital was understaffed and ill-equipped, concluding that the woman’s death was avoidable. They refused to say if Maynard was vaccinated, emphasising that it was irrelevant.
Maynard joined the nursing profession at the age of 18. She served in the field for some 38 years.
Former Health Minister, Dr. Karen Cummings said that Maynard’s death is tantamount to manslaughter after hearing that the woman was not told what medication she was receiving, and the purported inappropriate care she received. She said that an independent probe must be conducted by the Health Ministry and the Guyana Police Force to determine the circumstances surrounding the woman’s death.
Maynard’s relatives said that they will discuss whether legal actions should be taken. Forde, an attorney-at-law, signaled his willingness to help in this regard.
