GEORGETOWN – Region Six health authorities are pushing back against claims that a newborn was taken from the New Amsterdam Hospital without his family’s consent, insisting the infant was placed into protective custody for his own safety.
The case gained public attention after 20-year-old Keshma Jagdeo, of Miss Phoebe, Port Mourant, told relatives and the media that her baby had “gone missing” after doctors kept him for observation following a home birth on October 23.
Jagdeo said she had been previously advised at the Port Mourant Hospital that her pregnancy was not due to reach full term until November. She later delivered the baby at home and was taken to New Amsterdam Hospital for treatment. She was discharged soon after, but the baby remained under hospital care.
Her mother later reported that when she returned to collect the newborn, he was no longer at the hospital, sparking accusations of improper conduct.
But speaking to the Regional Democratic Council on Thursday, Regional Health Officer Dr. Vineshri Khirodhar firmly rejected any suggestion of wrongdoing. She explained that the mother acted against medical advice and delivered the child in unsafe home conditions, even cutting the umbilical cord herself.
“The mother took it upon herself to deliver at home… under insanitary conditions, taking a grave risk against the nurse and doctor’s advice,” Khirodhar said.
She further disclosed that the family had prior engagements with welfare authorities, leading doctors to contact the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) for intervention.
“This mother also had several other kids that the welfare would have investigated, and the decision was taken by doctors to call in the welfare officers,” she noted.
Dr Khirodhar stressed that the infant was not removed arbitrarily, but transferred to protective care on the recommendation of welfare officials, not the hospital.
“The RHO does not have a say in what welfare officers decide. Our job is to keep the child, treat the child, manage the child, and make sure the child is safe,” she said.
She assured that once the CPA concludes its assessment, the family will be formally updated on the child’s status and next steps.
