<\/a>The sextuplets’ parents are ungrateful and owe the Government, the Prime Minister and the taxpayers of this country a \u201cthank you\u201d for all that was done to ensure that mother and babies had the best care possible, Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan said yesterday.<\/p>\nThe March 4 birth of the sextuplets to parents Petra Lee Foon, a teacher, and Kieron Cummings, a bank employee, was a first for Trinidad and Tobago and the Caribbean.
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\nExtensive plans were put into place at the Mt Hope Women\u2019s Hospital to ensure a smooth Caesarian-section delivery of the babies, and close to $5 million was spent to purchase equipment for the babies\u2019 aftercare at the hospital\u2019s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).<\/p>\n
Two of the babies\u2014the youngest and eldest\u2014have since died. ***<\/p>\n Sextuplets dad: I should have gone abroad<\/b><\/big><\/p>\n Anika Gumbs-Sandiford Keron Cummings, the father of the country’s first sextuplets, has one regret. He wished he had listened to the advice of some doctors and relatives and sent his wife overseas to give birth. “If I could do it all over again I would have sent my wife abroad,” Cummings told T&T Guardian as he broke his silence yesterday, expressing concern over the aftercare given to his babies.<\/p>\n And while both Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan and chairman of the North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) Dr Shehenaz Mohammed claimed everything possible was done to prepare for the babies\u2019 arrival, hospital sources told the T&T Guardian conflict surrounded the consent form for the caesarean-section surgery. While the consent form is normal procedure for patients undergoing surgery, the T&T Guardian learned that one was drafted specially to distance the NCRHA from any potential medical-negligence lawsuit. ***<\/p>\n MILLION DOLLAR BABIES By Anna Ramdass Close to $5 million was spent to purchase equipment for the special care of Trinidad and Tobago\u2019s first sextuplets at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the Mt Hope Women\u2019s hospital.<\/p>\n The Express obtained a copy of the expenditure incurred for the delivery of the sextuplets, which totalled $4,943,758.19.<\/p>\n Among the list of equipment purchased were 12 radiant warmers costing $2.6 million, and 12 incubators at $1.3 million. ***<\/p>\n More Govt help for sextuplet parents<\/b><\/big><\/p>\n By Anna Ramdass To ease the financial woes of the parents of Trinidad and Tobago\u2019s first sextuplets, grants have been made available to them through the Ministry of the People and Social Development.<\/p>\n Minister of the People Dr Glenn Ramdharsingh told the Express yesterday the Ministry\u2019s \u201cpeople\u2019s unit\u201d has been in contact with the family and has made available grants and food cards to ease their financial strain.<\/p>\n Ramdharsingh said the family received a funeral grant from the ministry for the burial of the first baby\u2014Kaelon Cummings Lee Foon. <\/p>\n Ramdharsingh said the pharmaceuticals grants of $2,500 every six months was also made available to the parents.<\/p>\n Ramadharsingh added that the ministry was also planning to give the babies a \u201cnest egg\u201d in the form of units from the Unit Trust.<\/p>\n On Thursday, Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan criticised Cummings, who said he regretted not taking his wife abroad for treatment as he took issue with the NICU\u2019s after care of the babies.<\/p>\n Khan said the parents were ungrateful and owe the Government, Prime Minister and people of this country for all that has been given to them.<\/p>\n He also stressed that the babies were conceived through the use of a fertility drug, Clomid, which comes with a number of risks to the babies and therefore it was wrong of the parents to criticise the hard-working staff of the NICU who have been caring for the babies. ‘UNGRATEFUL’ By Anna Ramdass May 09, 2013 The sextuplets’ parents are ungrateful and owe the Government, the Prime Minister and the taxpayers of this country a \u201cthank you\u201d for all that was done to ensure that mother and babies had the best care possible, Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan said yesterday. The March 4 birth … Continue reading Health Minister Dr. Fuad Khan: Sextuplets’ parents ungrateful<\/span>
\nFull Article : trinidadexpress.com<\/a> <\/p>\n
\nThursday, May 9, 2013<\/i><\/p>\n
\nFull Article : guardian.co.tt<\/a><\/p>\n
\n$5m spent on sextuplets at Mt Hope hospital<\/b><\/big><\/p>\n
\nStory Created: May 7, 2013 at 9:08 PM ECT
\nStory Updated: May 9, 2013 at 6:48 AM ECT<\/i><\/p>\n
\nFull Article : trinidadexpress.com<\/a><\/p>\n
\nMay 10, 2013 at 9:55 PM ECT trinidadexpress.com<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n
\nFull Article : trinidadexpress.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"