Distraught Parents Seek Answers About Newborn Baby’s Death
She claimed she saw bruises on her baby’s limbs and wanted to take a photo to show it to her husband, but was told that she was not allowed to.
Monday 07 March 2022 | 11:09
Distraught parents Sese Vananatoga and Mereseini Caucau hold a photo of their late newborn son Ulaiasi Turaga Vananatoga on March 3, 2022. Photo: Laisa Lui
A distraught couple do not intend to rest until they find out what happened to their newborn child.
Mereseini Caucau and her husband Sese Vananatoga of Siberia, Labasa, are seeking answers about what transpired in the early hours of Sunday morning January 2, that led to the death of their son, Ulaiasi Turaga Vananatoga.
Ms Caucau had labour pains from Friday, New Year’s Eve and only went to Labasa hospital on Saturday afternoon. She successfully delivered her son by 10.30pm.
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She walked back to her bed while the midwife brought her baby to her and they had a good sleep for the next 10 hours. That was the only time she was able to hold and nurse her baby before the doctors took baby Ulaiasi away at around 6am the next morning.
“Three doctors came about 6am and took my baby and put him on the next bed before they carried him away to the next room,” she said.
“I was still recovering from the delivery and my eyes were heavy and I was falling off to sleep, but I could hear my baby’s cries from the next room.
“After a while when I couldn’t hear my baby’s cries anymore, I got up as I was told that the staff had whisked my baby to the NICU.
“When I got to the admin, the nurse told me that she didn’t know anything as she had just started her shift.
“Just a little after that, a phone call came that I had to go to the NICU to see my baby who was already dead,”she said.
Ms Caucau was in disbelief and was in tears when she saw her baby boy lying lifeless.
She claimed she saw bruises on her baby’s limbs and wanted to take a photo to show it to her husband, but was told that she was not allowed to.
The events that followed were sour. She requested that she be discharged so she could arrange for her baby’s funeral.
Her husband, Mr Vananatoga, said two months later they were still unaware of the circumstances surrounding the death of their son. He hopes that those responsible would provide the answers they’re searching for.
Permanent Secretary for Health and Medical Services, Dr James Fong, said due to the confidentiality of the issues, the ministry would only reveal issues specific to the couple’s concern as a team would reach out to contact them. Edited by Jonathan Bryce
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