World Class Medical Hub? Is it Really?
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BIRTH TRAGEDY 200 blood donors couldn't save her
Mum of 4 bleeds to death after delivering twins
By Chong Shin Yen
July 13, 2007
WHAT was to have been a celebration of two new lives turned into the death of their mother.
Madam Swee Lay Kuan was so excited about having twins that she went about buying baby clothes in pairs - one in pink and one in baby blue.
The excited mum had also thought of names for her baby girl and boy. Now, she will never get the chance to cradle her babies in her arms.
The 44-year-old sub-contractor died from massive bleeding two days after giving birth. She did not regain consciousness.
She could not be saved despite being given more than 20 packets of blood.
Madam Swee's family claim that staff of Raffles Hospital, where Madam Swee was warded, had told them that its blood supply was running low and that they did not have enough blood.
NOT ENOUGH BLOOD?
Now, Madam Swee's husband, Mr Jason Low, 43, has only one question: Why wasn't there enough blood in the hospital?
But a Raffles Hospital spokesman said that a continuous supply of blood was available for Madam Swee.
'There was full support and assistance given to Madam Swee by the Bloodbank@HSA to ensure that supply of blood were given without delay.'
Speaking to The New Paper at her wake at Kim Tian Road yesterday, Mr Low said that he was appreciative of the hard work put in by Raffles Hospital.
'But I felt that the process of obtaining blood for transfusion was too slow.'
Madam Swee was admitted to hospital last Thursday for bleeding - a result of a low-lying placenta (placenta praevia). The delivery was due on 23 Aug.
But because there was a threat of premature labour, and in the interests of the twins' safety, she was scheduled for Caesarean section last Saturday.
Mr Low, an operations manager, said: 'She was very excited about the birth. When she was wheeled into the operating theatre that afternoon, she was smiling at me and waving goodbye.'
Mr Low waited outside the operating theatre and, at about 3.30pm, the twins were pushed out.
'I was so happy and proud when the staff and people around me kept saying how cute my babies were,' said Mr Low, who has two other daughters, 17 and 11.
But not long after, the doctor asked to see Mr Low.
He recalled: 'The doctor told me that my wife was bleeding profusely and to save her life, they needed to remove her womb.'
Mr Low signed the consent form.
Madam Swee was out of the operating theatre at around 7pm.
Mr Jason Low at his wife's wake yesterday. -- Picture: KUA CHEE SIONG
But half an hour later, doctors told Mr Low that his wife was still bleeding even after they had stitched her up.
Madam Swee was taken back to the operating theatre.
This time, it was a long agonising wait for Mr Low as he saw medical staff going in and out of the operating theatre.
Said Mr Low: 'I was told that there were eight doctors helping my wife. But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't stop her bleeding as her blood wouldn't clot.'
At about 3am the next day, a doctor came and told Mr Low his wife's condition 'does not look good'.
'I was told that more than 20 packets of blood was given to her but no matter how much blood they pumped in, she continued to bleed,' he said.
Madam Swee's blood type was B+.
The hospital spokesman said that blood transfusion is given based on clinical needs and all bleeding emergencies are given top priority.
Said the spokesman: 'No approval from the hospital's higher authority is needed.'
Mr Low said he pleaded with the doctors not to give up on his wife.
That was when a staff suggested to him that he could get friends and relatives to donate blood at the Bloodbank@HSA and indicate that the blood is for his wife.
So, that Sunday morning, about 200 of their relatives and friends turned up to donate blood at the Bloodbank@HSA.
After that, Mr Low said, blood was released. But Madam Swee died the following night at about 9.30pm.
Mr Low said: 'I was told that my wife was already brain dead due to a lack of blood.'
Unable to accept his wife's death, a teary Mr Low said: 'It was supposed to be a joyous occasion for us.
'We were so thrilled and was all prepared to welcome the two new additions to the family.'
He said his wife had even thought of the names for the babies, but he had rejected them.
'She wanted to name the boy 'Jacko' and the girl 'Jacinda'. But who would name their kids 'Jacko'?
'I told her I didn't like the names. But now, I think I would use them as she'd wanted. After all, this was her last wish.'
The babies are now at Singapore General Hospital's intensive care unit as they were born premature. They are healthy.
The couple had been married for 13 years. Describing his wife as cheerful and outgoing, Mr Low said that her health had always been good.
'The pregnancy was a pleasant surprise to both of us. But she didn't even have the chance to see how adorable our twins are.'
Mr Low said their two elder daughters are holding up well.
'I have to be strong for them. Now, I have to play the role of both the mother and father.'
Her funeral is on Saturday at 1pm. -
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I really do not understand how this can happen! If the blood bank is worried that too much blood is used up, it should not, because so far any call for donation had been answered. They should not be too worry. We are talking about saving life!! Isn't the primary aim is to save lives !! no matter how much blood is used, as long as a life is saved, it is worth all the effort !! Why ? why ? why ? I am very worked up now !!
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A world class, we are not !!!!!
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And this tragedy happened in a private hospital?
Not enough money to pay for the blood or what? -
indeed a very very sad case..but b4 jumping into conclusion, lets wait for the investigation to give us the truth
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Originally posted by Inzaghi:indeed a very very sad case..but b4 jumping into conclusion, lets wait for the investigation to give us the truth
so who's rich enough or knowledgable enough to challenge the "authorities" -
ItÂ’s too late for Madam Swee and her husband.
But thereÂ’s something to learn from this tragedy.
It would be in the interest for couples whoÂ’s expecting a child to check these out.
1. Third-Stage Labor Management
2. Postpartum Hemorrhage or PPH
3. Emergency Hysterectomy
From now on, doctors should also counsel expectant mothers about them too. -
If Singapore has so many world class hubs, how is it the 80% of the populations remain poor and are having their wages dropping back to third world and are still struggling for a living with most retirees not having enough to live through their twilight years?Originally posted by LinYu: so who's rich enough or knowledgable enough to challenge the "authorities"
If Singapore ministers are so world class how is it that they could not show to the people how many of the past economic restructuring plans announced during the last three recessions achieved the targeted value-adding and technology start-up or practical knowledge innovations and applications.
Someone really ought to look into all the past announced of so many hubs and report tp the citizens (parliament only keeps quiet about such matter) how many of the hubs as announced were successful and how many were just publicity stunts to induce investors to come here.
Is biomedical hub successful in terms of ROI or major breakthrough in researches and applications as compared with other hubs in other countries. -
even if the patient no money also must give blood one mah , wait for those document thing to be done the patient die lor ....
Whoever in charge of this sure does not know that a life worth more than money -
I believe the problem does not lies with the supply of blood. It's complications.
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Frankly, her complications are too complex. And at 44 years old , there will always be complications.
It is like a bottle with a hole at the bottom - no matter how fast you try to fill it up , the water drains at the bottom. Likewise she is bleeding from somewhere they cannot find - she can go through 20 pints of blood but no point if you don't cut off the problem at the root source.
The only thing I can think of is about the clotting factor - they should have caught it early on but even if they did ....there are other further factors.
Childbirth always carries the risk of death. Makes us appreciate our mothers more. -
Every company,institute and organisation have management issues.
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I feel that by right, and as standard procedures, a woman about to deliver should have her health status assessed, re-assessed, and screened for potential complications that may crop up during or after birth...Originally posted by fymk:Frankly, her complications are too complex. And at 44 years old , there will always be complications.
It is like a bottle with a hole at the bottom - no matter how fast you try to fill it up , the water drains at the bottom. Likewise she is bleeding from somewhere they cannot find - she can go through 20 pints of blood but no point if you don't cut off the problem at the root source.
The only thing I can think of is about the clotting factor - they should have caught it early on but even if they did ....there are other further factors.
Childbirth always carries the risk of death. Makes us appreciate our mothers more.
Wasn't her coagulating defficiency detected beforehand? -
The thing is that we don't know what went on. Only the hospital and probably the husband would know better than we do.Originally posted by ShutterBug:I feel that by right, and as standard procedures, a woman about to deliver should have her health status assessed, re-assessed, and screened for potential complications that may crop up during or after birth...
Wasn't her coagulating defficiency detected beforehand? -
When bleeding is profuse, clotting factors are rapidly used up. The problem is that the used clotting factors cannot be replenished by the body instantaneously. This is called consumptive coagulopathy.
I can't be 100% sure but this is likely what happened in this case.
It's terribly tragic but it happens. I have seen previously healthy patients die this way. And it happens everywhere, third world or first, lousy medical system or world class.
This is not a reflection of a lousy medical system. This is an unforeseen medical complication with a tragic outcome.
I'm not saying we have a world class medical system. Our system sucks in many ways. I'm just saying this poor lady wasn't a victim of a bad system. -
Here's the latest - (HSA seem rather frantic in denying allegations)...Originally posted by fymk:The thing is that we don't know what went on. Only the hospital and probably the husband would know better than we do.
Blood is available round the clock
By Tan Hui Leng, TODAY | Posted: 14 July 2007 0718 hrs
The centre which supplies blood to hospitals is open 24-by-7.
That is the assurance from the Health Sciences Authority (HSA) amid certain misconceptions that have surfaced in the wake of Madam Swee Lay Kuan's bleeding to death at Raffles Hospital where she was delivering twins.
One issue that has surfaced is that the national blood bank is closed on Monday and public holidays .
But in an email to TODAY, the HSA said its Centre for Transfusion Medicine is opened to supply blood to hospitals on a 24-hour basis every day.
However, the blood donation division — which is BloodBank@HSA — is closed on certain days.
Thus, under no circumstance would patients' rights to blood transfusions be compromised.
"All requests for emergency blood supply are given top priority ," said Dr Diana Teo, director of the Centre for Transfusion Medicine.
Meanwhile, the incident at Raffles Hospital has led to other patient complaints, even as the private hospital has said that Mdm Swee died due to an acute blood condition and not because the hospital had run out of blood supply, as her husband initially alleged.
A complainant, Mr Loh Boon Kwang, who called the MediaCorp News Hotline, said the incident reminded him of his wife's difficult delivery at KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH) in 2004. She too had low-lying placenta.
"Before she was sent to the operating theatre, the doctor had ordered blood for my wife as she was bleeding, but the nurse came back and told the doctor in my presence that theblood could not be issued ," the 37-year-old computer repairman told TODAY.
"Two units of blood were prepared and sent to the operating theatre on standby," said a hospital spokesperson. But as Mrs Loh did not suffer any significant blood loss, a blood transfusion was not needed and all blood units were returned to the blood bank. -
I feel that it is more a Red Tape problem.....Originally posted by cherry_garcia:When bleeding is profuse, clotting factors are rapidly used up. The problem is that the used clotting factors cannot be replenished by the body instantaneously. This is called consumptive coagulopathy.
I can't be 100% sure but this is likely what happened in this case.
It's terribly tragic but it happens. I have seen previously healthy patients die this way. And it happens everywhere, third world or first, lousy medical system or world class.
This is not a reflection of a lousy medical system. This is an unforeseen medical complication with a tragic outcome.
I'm not saying we have a world class medical system. Our system sucks in many ways. I'm just saying this poor lady wasn't a victim of a bad system.
And this isn'y a One Off incident as another patient/victim has voiced his experience with Blood Bank... -
You have pointed out a possibility of lack of coordination between the blood bank and the operating theatre on supply of blood which will remain a problem until it is coordinated.Originally posted by cherry_garcia:When bleeding is profuse, clotting factors are rapidly used up. The problem is that the used clotting factors cannot be replenished by the body instantaneously. This is called consumptive coagulopathy.
I can't be 100% sure but this is likely what happened in this case.
It's terribly tragic but it happens. I have seen previously healthy patients die this way. And it happens everywhere, third world or first, lousy medical system or world class.
This is not a reflection of a lousy medical system. This is an unforeseen medical complication with a tragic outcome.
I'm not saying we have a world class medical system. Our system sucks in many ways. I'm just saying this poor lady wasn't a victim of a bad system.
Such a coordination can be done by the operating theatre incorporate blood order/standby status against patient's diagnostic sheet on a relevant check-box before operation begins. Without this coordination, there will be a risk of someone going on leave or forgetting to back up the operating theatre on such on-and-off need (so-called 24 hour standby break-down). -
What ever it is, it is in their interest to ensure that all is in order as they are in there to save lives. It is often say doctor cannot afford to make mistake as it concern lives .. maybe very unfair but it is true ... so as an organisation, they ought to have better SOP in place to ensure that such incident is minimised or eradicated . .. a life is lost, the children without a mother and the husband without a wife, all because they did not organise !! What the heck man !