No Baby Has Died Over ‘Dumsor’ – Tema General Hospital Management On Viral Video

The Tema General Hospital has responded to a viral video showing its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in darkness with nurses struggling to care for babies during a power outage.

The Hospital in a statement clarified that it was a brief generator trip-off.

The medical director at the facility, Dr. Richard Anthony, confirmed that the incident indeed happened at the hospital on Tuesday, March 26, when “the power from the national grid was interrupted and the Facility was relying on its power plant.”

 

A 24-year-old mother is blaming the Tema General Hospital for the death of her child during the intermittent power outage.

 

Watch the video below:

credit: TV 3

 

However, the hospital has denied the claim, indicating that they have an automatic standby generator.

Many social media users argued it was a major disconnection by the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG), as some 91 hospitals were threatened over a GH¢261 million debt owed to the power distribution company.

The hospital, in the press statement, added that nobody died due to the technical hitch.

 

Below is the full statement.

Re: Situational Report on Lights out at Tema General Hospital

The Tema General Hospital’s attention has been drawn to a video circulating on social media which is reported to have occurred at the Facility.

The facts are as follows:

1. The incident happened on Tuesday, 26th March, 2024 when the power from the national grid was interrupted and the Facility was relying on its power plant.

2. The dedicated generator set to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) tripped off for a short period and the hospital’s electricians worked to restore power to the Unit until the national grid was restored.

3. It must be emphasized that power was restored within two hours by the electricians at the Facility.

4. It is worth noting that no lives were lost as a result of this power outage.

5. The Tema General Hospital assures the general public that the Facility will continue to put the health and safety of its patients at the core of its business.

 

 

 

Background

“Don’t cry. God will do it. Everything will be alright.” With tender words of solace, a man consoles his grieving sister at Tema General Hospital on Wednesday evening. His sister, Zainabu Eliasu, had just suffered the devastating loss of her newborn baby. As tears stream down her face, she tries to maintain composure, but the weight of her loss is palpable.

“My sister came to deliver here. The baby was in an incubator, but because of the erratic power cuts, she has lost her baby,” her brother Mohammed reveals, his voice heavy with anguish.

In the midst of unimaginable heartbreak, Mohammed stands steadfast by his sister’s side, offering not only his physical support but also his unwavering faith in a higher power. Though the pain is immense, they try to manage their emotions but they were swaddled in sadness.

Mohammed said his sister’s baby died shortly after the power was restored. With no health worker explaining why the baby died, he suspects that the stress induced by the power outage and its detrimental effects may have contributed to the tragic outcome.

“Why can’t a big hospital like this one have a good generator? God will punish them,” he cried out.

At the post-delivery ward, the hot room was filled with the sounds of newborn cries. Their mothers cradled their precious bundles and fervently fanned their babies, seeking relief from the oppressive heat that engulfed the room. Amidst the chorus of cries, babies protested the sweltering conditions, their tiny voices adding to the symphony of sounds that filled the ward. Yet, despite the heat and the challenges they faced, the mothers remained resilient. Together, they weathered the discomfort, finding solace in the shared experience of motherhood and the unbreakable bond between parent and child. A frustrated mother who had had enough of the heat blurted out, “The President must see this. I hope no one will victimize me for expressing myself.”

GHOne News found that although the hospital had a power generator set to provide backup power for the unit, it is prone to shutting down when overloaded.

On Wednesday evening around 8 pm, the power situation was dire. Except for the neonatal unit, powered by a generator, the hospital remained engulfed in darkness, leaving many questions unanswered and highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive solutions to prevent such devastating incidents from occurring again.

On Tuesday evening, power cuts plunged the neonatal unit of Tema General Hospital into chaos, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of a newborn. The neonatal unit, where infants requiring intensive care are housed, relies heavily on electricity to sustain life-saving equipment such as oxygen support and emergency care devices.

In a viral 1:49 video capturing a dark neonatal room, medical equipment can be heard emitting urgent beeps due to power interruptions. Against the backdrop of this distressing sound, a voice tinged with frustration and desperation can be heard saying, “Babies will die if the power is not restored in 2 minutes.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

The gravity of the situation is palpable, highlighting the critical dependence of the neonatal unit on uninterrupted power to sustain the lives of vulnerable infants. The urgency in the voice underscores the life-and-death stakes involved, encapsulating the profound impact that power outages can have on the delicate balance between life and death in a medical setting.

The Tema General Hospital management has remained silent on the viral video, insisting they are yet to verify the video.

But mothers told GHOne News that the video was taken at the Neonatal unit.

It has come to light that the lives of several other infants hang in a balance.

The scenes at the Tema General hospital lay bare the harsh reality faced by both patients and medical staff alike. It is a reminder that behind every statistic lies a human life, a family torn apart by tragedy, and a community left to mourn.

The voices of the mothers in the post-delivery ward, the cries of the newborns struggling in the heat, and the anguish of families who have lost loved ones must not be ignored. Their pain demands urgent attention.

 

 

 

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