By LAUREL V WILLIAMS Thursday, March 12 2009

Shortly after a C-section to deliver her son, Chandra Mahabir’s blood pressure raised to such a high level that she suffered blood clots in her lungs and pressure on the brain causing her to die, an autopsy on the 40-year-old Rio Claro woman revealed yesterday.

The results angered her family yesterday, and they again called for an investigation into the treatment she received at the Sangre Grande Hospital. Mahabir was warded at the hospital on Monday on the advice of her private doctor who found her blood pressure was too high when she had a check-up with him earlier that day.

However, doctors performed an emergency C-section on Mahabir, who was 28 weeks pregnant. They successfully delivered Mahabir’s son but were not able to save her life.

The health of the three-day-old baby boy, who has not been named, continued to improve yesterday at the Wendy Fitzwilliam Paediatric Hospital, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC), Mt Hope, where he was transferred to on Monday night.

Mahabir’s sister Christine read out the autopsy report to relatives outside the mortuary at the EWMSC. The report revealed Mahabir, who lived at Dughdeen Street, Rio Claro, died from “hypertensive encephalopathy, pregnancy induced hypertension pulmory embolism and raised intracranial pressure.”

The document was signed by pathologist Dr Herbert Daisley.

“Why is it they did not treat her for the high blood pressure instead of performing the C- section since she was not in labour pain? When we left her at the hospital the night of her death, she was in good health and if she gave consent for the surgery, where is the proof?” asked Christine.

She accused hospital officials of a cover-up and called on Health Minister Jerry Narace, to intervene.

“Doctors would not go against doctors so Mr Health Minister, we want justice. She never had a medical history of any high blood pressure or anything. She is a housewife and has another child, ” Christine said. Mahabir’s older son Anil Dookie is 18-years old.

Mahabir’s brother Narine said their family is so distraught they are yet to plan her funeral. “This baby will never know his mother because of the carelessness of these people. A simple thing as blood pressure and this is what happens. I have not seen the baby but hear that he was improving. We are not accepting only a review by hospital officials about this, we want more, ” Narine said.

Eastern Regional Health Authority CEO Ronald Tsoi-a-Fat was in a meeting and unavailable for comment yesterday. On Tuesday, he said Mahabir’s death would be reviewed.