Family grieves loss, but gives advice to public
Elswith Estell
Over the years we have carried numerous reports about the anemic services rendered to patients at public hospitals. A grieving family from Ladyville told us today that while they categorically wished not to bring disrepute to the KHMH, they feel that their loved one died prematurely under the care of nurses at the hospital. Daughter, Keishalyn Estell told News Five that her mom, Elswith recently passed away due to a cardiac arrest and they strongly believe that if she had received prompt attention, she would alive today. Elswith was given the drug Dobutamine, which her daughter said wasn’t properly administered.
Keishalyn Estell, Daughter of the deceased
“This medication is given through a machine and basically the way it’s supposed to drip is like next to not dripping at all. That’s how strong it is. We had this case where the nurse admittedly said that she has never dealt with this type of medication before nor the machine and then in changing the faulty machine that she was on first, and then this medication literally poured out like you put on a faucet, right? We strongly believe that this was the initial cause of the whole cardiac arrest coming on sooner than usual.”
Andrea Polanco
Keishalyn Estell
“And later on when your mom went into a cardiac arrest, other people and patients who were at the hospital at that time, called the nurses to give attention to your mom?”
Keishalyn Estell
“Yes, the young lady that was next to her, she said that the minute my mother stopped breathing she went to call the nurse, who at the time was on her computer and said right now and it was in a time frame of five to ten minutes before they came in there, which we believe could’ve been a difference, for her life, you know. All we are trying to do is that we are saying this cannot bring back our mother in any form, but maybe somebody else that is in that situation, or even like the authority figures at the hospital, the government officials in charge of the hospital, we really want them to start clamping down on the overall performance of doctors and nurses. In fair to say we know are very good doctors and nurses, but there are those who don’t have any care for their job and unfortunately, we encountered those ones. One, we just want the public to be aware of the situation and two, have authority figures to look into it so that this can stop.”
Elswith Estell was laid to rest last week.
I was there with my wife at the KHMH, and to tell u the services provided by the nurses and doctors are very $#!%%… When I would go look for them they were sitting on their @$$ and when spoken to they sit there and say somebody else will come attend to my wife. In pain and hurting they left her there…. they should really look into this matter seriously. KHMH is not a place to take you love ones. They kill them there. Stay away from KHMH.
According to peter allen and the wire man the health services have never been better. if you beleive the UDP right now we are living in Switzerland. things hve never been better. clear the land is saying he will build a bridge from Bomba to San Pedro. don’t listen to the noise in the market people, check your change. are you better off today than four years ago.
I completely understand what this family is going through. A year ago my brother was mistakenly shot. Which by the way we have still not gotten justice. He was taken to KHMH and later transfered to Universal. Because we were unable to pay them all the money at once. They are all about the money and not life.They put him out. Because of the careless health system we have in Belize he contacted Hepatitis through the blood that was given to him from the blood bank. We took him back to the KHMH and they trreated him carless. he also went into a cardiac arrest and was left there for about 10 mins. We kept on calling this Nigerian nurse who kept on saying right now she the come. They came when it was too late he passed away because his body was too weak to fight..The Authority needs to look into the kind of nurses and doctors we hire. They must have a passion to help sick people and not just be there for the money..
I understand that wire man pablo marin when conducting a check on a hospital, he stopped at the entrance of the hospital without medecines, no equipment and not even staff, and said ” something is missing here, i thing its a bit dark, if we run a wire here we can put a new bulb here”.
One doctor diagnosed my brother with an infection to his hand, due to a deeply cut wound….This doctor said my brother had arrived at the hospital just in time, because the infection could have spread to his bone and other organs. My brother was admitted and treated with anti-biotics. After being in the hospital for about 3 days, he was discharged….One week later he died, on October 31, 2011. I returned to Belize with family to bury him. Belize will never be the same for me again, because I feel in my heart, my brother was deliberately neglected and sent home too soon. Although the autopsy report said something else, my family and I believe my brother died because they relased him from the hospital too soon and without even a prescription for anti-biotics….I believe they definitely discharge my brother too soon from the KHMH….Too many complaints lately about this hospitals’ negligence or lack of good quality care to patients. Anyone out there reading these comments and have the power to do anything, please start an invistigation into these allegations. I am sure KHMH have good doctors and nurses, but a lot of them are not good at all and they need to be weeded out and fired.
don’t u understand that KHMH stands for Kill Him Murder Her. If nurses and doctors are not doing their jobs properly, Belize will never be developed in the Health department and as for the people who work there, if you don’t like your job, find another because there are people out there who REALLY WANT a job and perhaps do a better job than you!!!!!!!
I agree with you a 100% that mostly nurses arnt doing there jobs that is why when people who are higher try to correct them they get piss off… many times urses dent to ignore the sick and slack on there #@$@# or phone or friends you want to hear gossip go to the hospital at night . call a nurse for help you will die an none will come to your help. they skin up there nose and talk rough and treat the patient bad.. and we are the one paying there salary .
They need to do a THOROUGH CHECK on the NIGERIAN NURSES. Are their certificates really valid and true? Many are coming under the guise of nurses and are not truly qualified. Suffice to say that at a private hospital in O.W. one had to be fired because she was unable to extract blood from a patient. She tried pinching over 3 times and still could not get the blood out. A local nurse immediately came and with one pinch got the blood flowing. Needless to say, that this was reported and the Nigerian Nurse was FIRED!
i am so grateful for all you guys that are speaking out……since this story aired i have been contacted by the acting chief of staff, and the persons from the quality assurance at the hospital. today i have a meeting with them……..i still stand strongly behind that fact that my mom died before her time due to KHMH…like i mentioned i cannot bring her back but if we stick together and keep at the authorities of the hospital and in government, we must can effect a change……………..thank you all for sharing and for those who have not posted their stories yet, please do so, this can make a difference to someone’s life.
i will be keeping the public posted on the developments of today’s meeting
thank you and God Bless
You are welcome keishalyn. Whatever I can personally do to assist you and your family in obtaining justice, I will do. Our loved ones can never, ever be replaced. If you need more information like the name of my brother, etc. it will be provided. I hope you and your family get the closure you need. Thank God for the good people whether they are rich in high places, or poor in lower places, I thank God for them ALL!!! And Kudos to ALL who helped to bring this situation into lightness, it’s been in the darkness too long….Much too long with people in position to do something about it, but instead, prefer to put blinders on their eyes and become deaf, when it suits them!!!
You are welcome keishalyn. Whatever I can personally do to assist you and your family in obtaining justice, I will do. Our loved ones can never, ever be replaced. If you need more information like the name of my brother, etc. it will be provided. I hope you and your family get the closure you need. Thank God for the good people whether they are rich in high places, or poor in lower places, I thank God for them ALL!!! And Kudos to ALL who helped to bring this situation into lightness, it’s been in the darkness too long….Much too long, with people in position to do something about it, but instead, prefer to put blinders on their eyes and become deaf, when it suits them to cover up their mishandling, negligence and good quality care of the patients who are in their care!!!
The authorities at the Hospital need to be held accountable.This seems to be a trend,last but not least the Patient Bill of Rights must be enforced.