Couple receives compensation for death of their baby

October 15, 2009 by Shawn Douglas
Filed under: News

The couple was compensated by the hospital for critical delays that lead to their baby son suffering irreversible brain damage.

A couple is being compensated £160,000 after staff at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, failed to administer a Caesarean in time to prevent asphyxiation of the couple’s baby.

Johanne Rees told hospital staff that she felt like she was going into labor soon, but staff differed in opinion costing her baby precious time.

“I couldn’t believe it when a doctor arrived and said I wasn’t ready to deliver but had probably eaten something that had disagreed with me and to try going to the toilet instead, “said Johanne.

“I just couldn’t understand why they weren’t doing anything to help me and my baby. At my last antenatal visit I was told my baby was breech and I would need a Caesarean section. It was a ‘no brainer’—I knew my baby needed to be delivered urgently.”

Over an hour later, an emergency Caesarean was performed, but it was too late. The baby had already been starved of oxygen and suffered brain damage as a result.

The father, Krishna Govekar, flew from Goa on the news that his wife was going to give birth soon, but he was unaware of the critical situation until it was too late. When he arrived, he found that his baby son was on a life support machine and would not recover from the brain damage suffered.

They then had to make the agonizing decision of whether or not to turn off the life support machine. After many tears and ten days later, they decided to turn off the machine.

The couple now plans to leave South Wales and move to Goa where Krishna owns a restaurant.

“When I come to this country, it brings bad memories to me. I think this country killed my baby,” said Krishna.

“My sister was pregnant at that time in Goa but was five months behind. Her baby was not growing and the doctor immediately diagnosed this and they put her under special care and after 32 weeks they did a Caesarean. Now the baby’s three-and-a-half years old, healthy, running.”

“People think India is a terrible country but care is better there than here, I think. If Johanne was in India, my son would have survived.”