MOH Declares Alleged NUH Miscarriage Case Wasn’t Due To Delay, Hospital Will Improve Processes

MOH Confirms Miscarriage Of Pregnant Woman At NUH Not Due To 2-Hour Wait

In crunch time such as during the pandemic, health institutions often face more pressure than usual, which could cause them to compromise procedures.

This was apparently the situation last month when a man alleged that a two-hour wait at the National University Hospital (NUH) caused him and his wife to lose their child through a miscarriage.

The hospital has since apologised to the couple and promised to carry out an investigation.

Following NUH’s investigation, the Ministry of Health (MOH) released the results of its own review. The ministry found that while the delay at NUH did not lead to the miscarriage, certain gaps in the process need to be addressed.

Investigations show that NUH delay did not cause miscarriage

In a press release on Wednesday (27 Apr), MOH announced that they have completed their review of the investigation by NUH into the alleged miscarriage that occurred at the emergency department.

According to MOH, NUH has successfully identified the gaps in its processes and implemented the appropriate improvements. MOH has also shared these findings with other hospitals.

During the investigation, NUH reviewed the footage and interviewed all staff to determine if the alleged two-hour wait led to the miscarriage.

MOH added that a team of experienced professionals carried out the investigation. This included senior doctors and nurses from the Emergency Department (ED), Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) Department, as well as the Clinical Governance-Medical Affairs team.

NUH’s overall assessment was that the proceedings at the hospital did not contribute to the miscarriage.

NUH had instituted a rapid access protocol for pregnant patients with signs of labour. After triage at ED, these patients could report directly to the Delivery Suite for assessment by the O&G doctor.

Typically, the procedure involves the ED doctor seeing the patient before deciding on a transfer.

However, on the day of the alleged miscarriage, the Delivery Suite was apparently full and there was a high number of patients in the ED. Therefore, the process of immediate transfer to the Delivery Suite was not smooth, resulting in a delay.

MOH ensures new measures by NUH will address gaps

MOH affirmed that NUH has introduced four new protocols that will prevent such incidents from happening again.

Firstly, an ED nurse will triage patients pending transfer to the Delivery Suite before a review by the ED doctor who will communicate with the O&G doctor.

If necessary, patients can undergo evaluation at the ED using an ultrasound. The same department will also triage patients using a standardised obstetric assessment score.

After the O&G doctor’s review, the department will carry out foetal heart monitoring while waiting for a bed in the Delivery Suite.

According to MOH, these new measures are deemed appropriate as corrective measures.

Additionally, NUH has held several meetings with the patient and her husband for clarification on the issue. The couple has reportedly accepted NUH’s findings and acknowledged that the miscarriage may not have happened within hospital premises.

NUH has also reassured the couple that they will improve processes to prevent such cases from occurring again.

Measures will hopefully prevent similar incidents

The miscarriage was a grievous tragedy that sparked the sympathies and furore of the entire nation.

With MOH confirming the findings provided by NUH, all doubts can be put to rest at last.

We hope that the conclusions from the investigation will help the family to heal from this chapter in their lives.

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Featured images adapted from National University Hospital Singapore.