Was pregnant woman carrying twins? Hospital has no answers
There is a disturbing allegation coming out of the north tonight. A mother of four claims that she went to the Northern Regional Hospital last week to deliver twins, but following her surgery she was told that she only gave birth to one baby; an eight pound boy. The mother, who comes from a family with a history of multiple twins, also has two ultrasounds—one from a local laboratory and another from an international lab—showing that she was expecting twins. Michel Gonzalez says, however, that the limited information she received from the hospital after giving birth, was that she was only carrying one baby when she delivered last week. News Five’s Andrea Polanco spoke with the distraught mother today in Corozal Town.
Andrea Polanco, Reporting
Thirty-three year old Michel Gonzalez sits holding her one week old son, but she says she should be holding twin boys. A few months ago she started to get medical attention in Corozal Town and was advised to do an ultrasound. Subsequently, Michel did two ultrasounds; one in Orange Walk Town and the other in Chetumal. Both were conclusive, Michel Gonzalez was carrying a set of twins.
Michel Gonzalez, Mother
“When she tell mi that, the next week I gone do my ultrasound dah Orange Walk and I come back and ker it to ah and deh read it. When deh read it, they tell mi dah twin I wah got and it’s complicated because one deh breach; one deh correct way fi born with he head down and one deh side-way. Suh deh tell mi I have to see a gyenacologist every Thursday every week. Suh I mi di see Mr. Coye and he tell me dat I wah need fi get operation. Well deh examine me and deh feel the baby deh breach like weh the ultrasound say and deh test two heart beat and every time I go deh mi di beat correct. I nuh only do one ultra sound because I do one dah Chetumal same way and two ah deh cyaa read the same thing that ih deh breach and two boys ah wah have neither.”
And so Michel’s surgery was set for the morning of Tuesday September fourth at the Northern Regional Hospital in Orange Walk Town. She checked in on Monday, September third. The following day she underwent c-section to deliver what she was expecting, twin boys; instead she was only handed this single baby boy.
Michel Gonzalez
“Going into the surgery room, deh test the heart beat dat dah the first thing deh do fi the two baby fi find out and when deh test it deh find the two baby heart beat same way. Suh now deh ker mi inna the surgery room and deh inject me and suh fi the anesthesia inna my back. Inna a while deh put me fi lie down and begin fi surgery pahn me rite because I feel pain when deh di cut and everything. Inna wah lee spell I mi gone inna a lee doze and when I wake up back again, I ask why deh di haul something and deh say because deh di open the cut. Meanwhile deh got one di pat up my face and I nuh know if deh mi di distract me or what. A next time I feel deh di haul again and I feel when they push fa yah plainly and then I hear the baby bawl. But like I say, I kinda sleep and get by time I get outta it they tell me dah only one baby I had inna me, dah nuh two. Well, deh nuh tell me. Deh say it to deh self.”
Michel Gonzalez
And up to now, Michel says she still hasn’t seen the doctor who delivered her baby. She believes something went awry that day in the delivery room at the Northern Regional Hospital.
Michel Gonzalez
“I come out one o’clock from the surgery room.”
Andrea Polanco
“Did you start ask questions?”
Michel Gonzalez
“I didn’t ask no question. I just keep it to myself because I was shocked. I was expecting two but they just brought one.”
Andrea Polanco
“What do you think happened?”
Michel Gonzalez
“Well, I don’t know; maybe deh could have the baby or maybe accidentally deh coulda mi slice ah and ih dead.”
Andrea Polanco
“But you believe you were carrying two babies up to the time of surgery?”
Michel Gonzalez
“I know I mi di carry two ah deh up to the time because I nuh lost none and I know because I got four pickney. When dah single I know the movement of one and two ah deh dah different movement.”
The emotional mother says she simply wants answers.
Michel Gonzalez
“The next day deh bring wah psychiatrist and mek I talk to wah psychiatrist but I tell deh I nuh crazy. She say she deh deh fi help me undastand dah one baby I have. I tell ah I have two baby and she say, well the placenta also beat inna you. I tell ah dat nuh beat. If deh mi kill ah deh shoulda say the truth and nuh mek I di go through dis because I wait nine months fi si my baby fi mek deh do that.”
Andrea Polanco
“What would you like to see be done? That an investigation be carried out?”
Michel Gonzalez
“Well yes because I need justice fi my pickney and also because the clinic di get restless. I wah back my pickney, if he alive and if he dead I wah deh show me he body at least (crying).”
Reporting for News Five, I’m Andrea Polanco.
News Five called the Northern Regional Hospital, and were told that Acting Administrator, Dr. Zair Osorio was away from his desk. We left him a message and a number but our call wasn’t returned. On Wednesday we’ll have more from the mother and will seek to get an interview from the doctor and the opinion of an ultra sound technician.
This is totally unacceptable!!!!!!!!!!!! People need to unite and demand a response from the Northern Regional hospital in Orange Walk. This is a factual story that needs to go international, because clinica campestre is a top of the line clinic in Chetumal, Mexico and they will not make a bogus lie. If twins is what the ultrasound revealed then something is wrong if only one child was born. Somebody knows what happen and they need to speak it out. This is a manslaughter by negligence case and the Police needs to act immediately. There is enough proof that the woman was pregnant of twins.
Sounds like the doctors messed up and killed the other baby and they covered it up by saying she gave birth to only one baby. These doctors know that another doctor in Belize recently had 2 pay millions for a botched delivery
Can we have sunk to a new low, a baby either killed or stolen during childbirth and covered up by doctors???
Who can we trust to investigate this matter and get an honest, just result ?
This matter needs a thorough investigation. What exactly is the Police waiting on?
Sue the doctor you have the two ultrasound in your hand. Dont give them to study them you will not get the same one back. Get a very good lawyer from now. Dont let time pass do it now!!!.
Is this an infant friendly hospital too??? We is the Minister of health?
Something went wrong and i think this is not the first family this had happen in the North.
according to the wire man minister and the englishman ceo all our hospitals are BABY FRIENDLY, my God suppose they weren’t
I have never heard of such a sad and inhumane story!!! That poor mother I can only imagine how distressed she must be. A full investigation should now follow these allegations and the person or persons should be made to suffer the consequences.
Please, please don’t let this be another case of injustice.
She knows she was having twins, where is the husband? He should have been in the delivery room with her, if he is absent like is most case, at least a family member should have been with her. I do believe the baby died when they tried to deliver, even through this tragedy, the HOSPITAL must still be accountable.
how sad , and they have the heart to call in a psycho for the poor girl
What a shame and by the way when one go to deliver they do not want anyone to stay in the room only nurse and doctors. My wife will be having a baby soon and no one will stop me from being in that room. Could this be a case of human trafficking like they sold the baby, let us hear from the police department as they will take this serious as a child is involve.
Its obvious that rite up to surgery she was carrying twins…In my opinion I believe the other one has probably been sold ..this has become a lucrative practice up north and especially Chetumal..children go missing all the time in the big stores over there and are sold…I hope she gets justice!!!!!
Ministry of health the silence is deafening! We demand answers and quick. This is a life and very precious Belizean child. If someone is really responsible then let their head roll like a dice! Ultrasound no lie! We demand answers.
These people took an oath, they need to provide the answers.
many hospital are defaulted.. they cover up, they have blood in there hands and the grin about it, i wonder if they can sleep… u can call them death angels….. poor mom,, i pray for justice just as people fight for cancer, and other incurable disease.. Rule a Doc. swears to save life not to take lives away..
wow, the authority needs to look into this. This is right up there with child smuggling.
Stephen, I was in the room when my son was born, and the doctor let me cut the umbilical cord. Quite a great memory, and something my son and I talk about today, 5 years later.
This is such a sad case. all the time you go to these hospitals and you get treated like criminals. all these Doctors and nurses care about is their checks that they are receiving. This is such a shame. if walls could talk like the song says there really are a lot of stories you would here about these places and the people that cover up their bad actions.
where is our minister of health? this baby carries my blood as well. these dr. we have in belize are so stupid my kid was a prmature child she had to stay in incubator for sumtime the day after surgery wen i went to see i saw a stranger with her husband holding my child caressing her n the stupid nurses said noting till i wen into the room and tuk my daughter away from the couple. wat if i neva reach that day? i wud be mayb in this same conditions. we need justice n we need it now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
MY advice to you mom- do not give up seek for assistance. you need justice i feel your sad and sorrowful lost. Someone got to talk either the the easy way or the hard way.
It is scary to think what really occurred here but a serious investigation really needs to take place. I cannot imagine how this poor mother feels but she should get a good lawyer and start demanding answers!!
That’s why she shouldn’t have been in the delivery room by herself. She should have someone by her side to witness the actual delivery. even more so because she was supposed to receive a C – Section..
It aches me to see these type of things occurring time after time. My people keep putting their guards down and thee institutions running games on them.
Hopefully the truth is revealed.
its also possible that the ultrasound was done & read incorrectly. the technician could have thot they saw parts of two babies when there was only one.