“In the wake of extensive negative media coverage and pre-action protocol letters triggered by the tragic and unfortunate deaths of premature infants at the North West Regional Health Authority's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), the Authority thinks it important to provide the general population with some context.” This from the North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) in a Media Release today (Saturday 20th April, 2024). According to the NWRHA, “There has been a lot of speculation and misinformation put into the public domain which, given the legal actions taken by affected parties, we at the NWRHA are not in a position to correct. The NWRHA is constrained from speaking publicly on the specifics of any of the events that occurred at all, and in particular with regard to the cluster of babies who passed away between the 4th and 9th April, 2024.” The NWRHA continued, ‘This notwithstanding, we think it important to share some indisputable facts if only for general knowledge and to assure our current and future patient population. There has been no collapse or breakdown of the healthcare system in Trinidad and Tobago. This was an unfortunate and irresponsible statement. The nation's healthcare facilities are fully functional, including the NICU at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital and the thousands of healthcare professionals who go out to work night and day to care for the nation's sick, remain dedicated and professional in carrying out their duties. The root cause of the infant deaths are still to be determined, and will be. Of equal importance is finding out how and why these deaths occurred and the steps necessary to prevent a recurrence. This is the subject of the investigation that is being conducted by PAHO at the request of the Ministry of Health alongside the NWHRA's own internal investigation. We eagerly await their findings, and remain committed to co-operating fully with all enquiries.” The NWRHA said its NICU accepts the smallest and sickest babies from all the Regional Health Authorities, some smaller than 600 grams (1.3 lbs), who spend, on average, close to three (3) months in the NICU before being discharged home. The average admission rate is thirty-three (33) per month. A neonate is any baby from birth to twenty-eight (28) days of life. In the NICU, the babies receive extra special care and attention to develop, grow and thrive so that they may eventually go home with their parents and have childhoods that are as normal as possible. The smaller and more premature the baby is, the higher the risk of complications such as problems with brain development, cerebral palsy, blindness, chronic lung disease, deafness, infections and even death. A full-term baby is delivered typically between thirty-nine (39) to forty-one (41) weeks. A baby is said to be early term between thirty-seven (37) weeks to thirty-eight (38) weeks and six (6) days. The NWRHA notes that all babies born before thirty-seven (37) weeks’ gestational age are considered to be pre-term. “Babies born pre-term have many challenges to overcome since they are not fully developed and may need more help and support after delivery.” In 2023 there were 2,169 live births across the entire NWRHA. Of that number, 403 or 19% were admitted to the NICU. 43% of the admissions were babies less than 2,500 grams (5.5 lbs), while 21% were less than 1,500 grams (3.3 lbs). Of those admitted to the NICU, sadly nineteen (19) passed away resulting in a neonatal mortality rate of 8 per 1,000 live births. In 2022, the neonatal mortality rate was 6.2 per 1,000 live births. There were less congenital anomalies. According to a World Bank report in 2021, the neonatal mortality rate for some of our neighbours in the Caribbean was as follows:
The Media Release concluded by saying, “The NWRHA is deeply committed to adhering to established standards of care endorsed by international bodies and we continually strive to enhance care to meet the evolving needs of our Trinidad and Tobago.” We are a small operation. If you've found our articles to be informative, please consider supporting us via PayPal or buying us a coffee. Your contribution is incredibly appreciated and goes a long way. Simply sharing our articles also helps us. Sign up for our free WhatsApp Alerts to be notified as soon as we post breaking news. NEW! Check out our Merchandise Store for high-quality t-shirts, hats and more!
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