Ministry of Health said there was no twin; offers counseling for mother
A tearful mother from Corozal Town told us on Tuesday night that she was to deliver a pair of twins, but that the Northern Regional maintains she only gave birth to one child. That perplexing case continued to unravel today and the Ministry of Health has now responded. Contrary to the mother’s claims, MOH maintains that Michel Gonzalez only gave birth to one baby. Gonzalez furnished us with two separate ultrasound results; one done at the Northern Medical Plaza in Orange Walk Town and the other done at Clinica Campeste in Chetumal. Both ultrasounds concluded that Gonzalez was carrying a set of twins. But she gave birth last week and today she only has one baby boy. The mother isn’t buying the hospital’s response, which she said was never officially communicated to her. We have the second part of the interview done on Tuesday.
Andrea Polanco
“Now, have you questioned the doctors; have you made an attempt to talk with somebody from administration at the hospital?”
Michel Gonzalez, Mother
“Well, my ma did the talking and gone si about it because every time deh tell me wah doctor wah come si mi; the doctor nuh come. My ma, even before I di left out the Thursday, my ma gone and say she wah si the doctor weh tend to me. He refused to come every time and he nuh show ih self. He say inna fifteen minutes time ih wah come because my ma say she wah si ih. He say he wah send wah next doctor, but my ma tell ah but dah nuh wah next doctor operate me, dah you. But he neva show up none at all.”
Andrea Polanco
“So up to this time, you guys still haven’t gotten a concrete answer, so to speak, from the hospital?”
Michel Gonzalez
“We nuh get no ansa. My ma say all deh tell ah is dat dah one and dah one. Weh deh wah deh do. Weh she want we find the next one if dah only one, deh say. Because dah my ma di tend to that and she gone back again. Suh I nuh know weh wah happen.”
Andrea Polanco
“How long did you remain in the hospital following the birth of the boy?”
Michel Gonzalez
Michel Gonzalez
“Bout two days. Thursday ah come out.”
Andrea Polanco
“And during that time nobody mentioned, that you only had one baby or something may have happened? Nobody said anything to you?”
Michel Gonzalez
“No, nobody come tell me nothing. All weh deh say, you look sad nuh true. That’s all. Deh nuh explain nothing ‘bout the baby or nothing. All weh ah know, deh say, somebody wah come si mi deh say, wah nurse. Suh I di wait and like Wednesday I tell deh I have pain and they give mi wah injection weh neva have no effect. That day I tell deh I have pain and deh inject me and that day when deh inject me, suddenly I feel wah different feeling from the injection run up inna my head and ih like feel numb. Deh keep give me ‘bout three time right.”
In a press release issued late this evening, the Ministry of Health confirmed that both ultrasounds showed that the mother was carrying twins but says, “On September fourth, 2012, she gave birth to a single male fetus under normal conditions. It was only until then that the doctors discovered that it was not a twin but a single pregnancy. The client was immediately informed of this by the surgical team which included one obstetrician, two pediatricians, one anesthesiologist, one medical officer, one operating room nurse, one certified registered nurse anesthetist and one circulating nurse. She was given reassurance during her recovery in the maternity ward and was also offered counseling prior to being discharged on September sixth, 2012 because of her grief since her expectation was not met.” The release went on to say that ultrasounds like many other imaging diagnostic tests may have limitations. In the case of pregnancy, the older the gestational age the higher the probability of error in determining fetal growth and development.
WOW!!!! What a bunch os BS from the MOH. ” In the case of pregnancy, the older the gestational age the higher the probability of error in determining fetal growth and development” can be interpreted to say that it was difficult to see two heartbeats when the fetus was at 39 -40 weeks? Are you telling me when they did the monthly checks of this patient they missed the sounds of two heartbeats? To make gender error is highly possible but to supposedly miss to heartbeats on an ultrasound is BS. Either the MD who was supposedly reading the ultrasounds has no clue as to what he is looking at or they screwed up big time and are trying to cover their @$$#$!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These people need to be fired and the health care system needs to be revised so that the welfare and RIGHTS of patients are well preserved and NOT those of the doctors or nurses or anyone else !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And yes it is possible to have ultrasounds with incorrect data but several ultra sounds were done and were performed at different locations and at 38 weeks all fetal organs are present and clearly visible. So unless the person performing and the person reading the ultrasound did not know how to perform their jobs( user error). Anyways it would be very difficult to miss two hearts on an ultrasound and very and if this pt was assessed as she was supposed to any changes would have been detected , hence the reason for assessments of patients. If she did suffer from preeclampsia
then fetal assessment should have been a priority and any changes again would have been detected. The only time things will be missed is if they were not properly examined.
As the saying goes ” if you did not document and charted then it was not done” If US indicated were twins 38 wks then it was so!
Someone needs the verify that the ultrasounds are indeed of this woman when she said they were made. Then we need to get an unimpeachable expert to interpret them — do they show two fetuses?
If they do, then the police have some serious work to do.
Two ultra sounds confirm that there were twins, so logic would dictate that the other one is still ….
Has anyone thought to bring this poor woman back to the hospital and give her another ultra sound??
TO THE MOM, I PRAY U RECEIVE SOME KIND OF JUSTICE. FROM FOLLOWING ALL THE ARTICLES ON THIS STORY, IT DOESNT TAKE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO SEE THAT, THIS MOM DID DELIVER TWINS, AND THAT THE TEAM WHO CLEARLY HELPED DELIVER THE BABIES ARE ALL COVERING FOR SOMEBODY, WHICH IS WHY THE DOCTOR HIMSELF IS AVOIDNG THE FAMILY…I PERSONALLY FEEL, THAT THEY STOLE HER CHILD AND/OR SOLE HIM…..TOO BAD THEIR IS NO KIND OF JUSTICE IN BELIZE WITH ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS, AND EVERYONE THAT HAS THE POWER TO HELP, JUST SIT ON THEIR @$$, COLLECT MONEY AND ALLOW CRIMINALS TO GET AWAY, WHILE VICTIMS OF ALL SORTS OF CRIMES SUFFER. FRANKLY IT SOUNDS AS IF EVEN THE MOH KNOWS SOMETHING, OR WAS PAID OFF, WHY NOT EVEN THE DOCTOR IS BEING INTERROGATED, INVESTIGATED, OR NOT EVEN DISCIPLINED FOR NOT SPEAKING WITH THE FAMILY, AND AVOIDING THEM. TO THE MOTHER, I WISH YOU COULD GET A GOOD @$$ ATTORNEY….THERE NEEDS TO BE A THOROUGH INVESTIGATION, AND NOT JUST A MANS WORD TAKEN FOR IT, BECAUSE CLEARLY NO ONE CAN BE TRUSTED! ITS REALLY PATHETIC, AND SO SAD. I LUV BELIZE, BUT I MUST SAY THAT IN MANY PLACES IN THE U.S, THIS STORY, WOULD NOT BE LEFT JUST LIKE THIS…
Yea rigth? And when you wake up what number play? Lady take your ultrasound and go to clinica carranza and ask a “reall doctor” if this is possible. And the sue their @&&. Never ever will they have so many people in the operating room not for sesarian.
Well question other professionals in the field of ultrasounds like Dr. Reyes for example of “La Asuncion Radioagnostic Center”. In Belize City also, you can question other professionals to see what they believe with the years of experience and training they have. This is the first time I hear anything llike this; there has to be something shady about this. Our health system is really on a bad state! I have a strong feeling something happened to the other fetus while the surgery was being conducted and now they are trying to cover it up.
When I become PM, I will fight for free quality health care for all Belizeans, free education for up to the university level. If Barbados, who is a country much smaller than ours can do it why cant our beautiful Belize. I can tell you why, Our governments have all spoiled the system with their greedy and ambitious ministers. They all have sweethearts and build them huge mansions, give them nice and latest models of vehicles.
I will tell you something, this Government and no other government in the past has no mandate and the will of the people at heart. They use that to confuse you and make you think that they care about you but its all lies.
The only true leader Belize has had is the late Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price. The day we return to govern our country the way that he did or try to govern even better than he did, then and only then our country will move forward.
This is Belize, Corruption all over the place and tend away with it. To Mrs Gonzalez , Be Strong, walk with your head high and have faith in the ALMIGHTY – JUDGEMENT DAY IS VERY VERY IMMINENT – God will judge each one of us.
This sounds very suspicious. How comes no one was in the ward as the baby was delivered. It seems her family was there why wasn’t a witness present to see the deliver, a witness from both the medical team and one from the family. This sad, why should the lady believe them. This is why the hospital needs more policy implemented to give the people confidence in them. The hospital need to improve policy and proceedure, simple.
Thats true they need to be more competent. I remember when I delivered this year my parents had to go and take me out of that in their own responsibility because if for them my baby woudl have died since tehy were stubborn when I told them I need to give formula to my baby and they wanted breast milk no matter wat. Thanks God my baby is well nourished with formula.
Young mom you need to fight for your right.
the Ultrasound report that you Channel 5 show is signed by a Dr Bosco, why don’t you interview him.I would hate to see this story die after this ridiculous press release by the Ministry of Health. please dig deeper, channel 5. you need to interview all of these persons that the ministry claimes were in the operating room. for a district hospital it sounds like a lot of personnel to me. In another country the Minister of Health the CEO and the In charge of the hospital would immediately be suspended until this is cleared up. but unfortunately we are in Belize. again please stick with this story channel 5.
Its Funny how a psychiatrist would come and tell her that her placenta beats too in that case i would tend to think that every ultrasound would come out with 2 heartbeats. Idiots I wonder where that psychiatrist got her degree, oh forgot copied throughout the entire degree.
I pray that God give this mother the wisdom and strength to move forward and finds justice for her pain.
I hope that something is done about it.
It is truly sad what they did to this poor mother. How can two separate ultra sounds for two separate countries gives the same result, yet it is not taken into consideration? Why don’t the doctor who did the delivery face the family or address the media? Why is he/she staying away? Either they accidentally killed the other baby or the other child is sold for international adoption through human trafficing, for some serious $$$$. This wouldn’t be the first time nor will it be the last…
I bet if someone puts up a LARGE enough REWARD for information leading up to the where abouts of this other baby, somebody from that delivery room would step forward. Even if it means losing their job.
Anyway, my prayers is with the family and in the end God will judge accordingly.
The most insulting thing so far is for the MOH to suggest (today) that the human body can “absorb” a fetus in the third trimester – this is scientifically impossible! Why won’t the Doctor speak to the Mother? have officials of the MOH spoken to the Mom or will they continue to communicate with this grieving lady via “press release”. The person above is right to suggest a second ultrasound to ensure these quacks did not leave the second fetus inside. Unbelievable and requires a a THOROUGH investigation.
so so sad and its for greed of money….i heard that the father paid off the whole greedy team to get one of the children…..n some wont talk caz he is a drugs man…..another thing so many in the delivery room hell somtimes these people really think we r fools…but the bloody government to blame….
All is innocent until proven GUILTY. Concern for the mother who will need support and counselling any which way this situation ends.
That lady no need no pshychologist she need the truth. To pay a psychologist to tell you more lies? If you continue the talk to Belizean people like them dumb that dangerous….stop unu fool and investigate.
michelle gonzales is my first cousin and this is a !-!@# outrage every mother deserves to know the truth about what happined to her baby we as mothers know the bond we develope with our child as we carring them thru out pregnancy and the love we have for them no matter what happins we will never give up on helping her to find the truth and yes ang michelle don`t need no dam psychologist she needs an attorney to get to the bottom of this no baby can disapare like that and to concern nurse mind your bussiness the only innocent people here is my cousin and her family my cousin don`t need no counselling she need her baby she got lot a family fi talk to