Two more families sue over alleged Bacchus Marsh pregnancy mishandling
EXCLUSIVE: THE parents of a baby girl who lived for just five days are the latest family to sue the Bacchus Marsh Hospital over the alleged mishandling of a pregnancy.
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THE mother and father of a baby girl who lived for just five days are the latest family to sue the Bacchus Marsh Hospital over the alleged mishandling of a pregnancy.
The parents of a disabled boy born at the hospital in 2004 are also suing on his behalf, claiming his birth was mishandled.
Investigations into a cluster of 11 suspect baby deaths at the Djerriwarrh Health Services-run hospital have uncovered significant failings with the care provided.
BACCHUS MARSH HOSPITAL BABY DEATHS SOAR WHILE ALLEGED BOTCHED BIRTHS PROBED
Kiara Harrison was born by caesarean section on January 31, 2005, and died on February 5, 2005.
Following the birth, mother Katrina Harrison, then aged 34, underwent an emergency hysterectomy.
Ms Harrison, now 46, and her husband Darren Harrison, 47, have lodged a writ in the County Court alleging Djerriwarrh Health Services, obstetrician Surinder Parhar and radiologists Robert House and Ross Breadmore were negligent in their treatment and management of Ms Harrison.
In their writ, the Harrisons claim they agreed to allow obstetrician Dr Parhar to manage the pregnancy and birth of their second child, and to have their baby delivered at the hospital.
The writ alleges Dr House and Dr Breadmore conducted ultrasounds in the weeks before Ms Harrison was admitted to the hospital for an induced birth managed by the hospital and Dr Parhar.
As a result of the alleged negligence the Harrisons claim they have suffered injury, loss and damage for which they seek unspecified damages.
In a separate writ a 12-year-old is also seeking damages.
The writ filed on his behalf by his father claims that two months before he was due to be born the boy was identified as being in the breech position, and a month later his mother went into spontaneous premature labour at 35 weeks.
She was vomiting, cold and shivering, and monitoring detected foetal distress before she gave birth the following day.
The boy was not breathing and was blue as the umbilical cord was tightly wrapped around his neck.
The writ claims as a result of the hospital’s negligent management, the boy was left permanently disabled.
Slater and Gordon lawyer Lee Kimonides said the cases were still in their early stages so it would be inappropriate to comment.
peter.mickelburough@news.com.au
