I was told that my wife was already brain dead due to a lack of blood.

200 blood donors couldn't save her

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.

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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A quote taken from here

From: Chupacabra (callipok) 16:42
To: goodnessm1 unread 19 of 19
146348.19 in reply to 146348.13
You talk cock. Countries like Australia and Canada got high taxes to fund their health cost which is free!

All the taxes in sinkapore including cigerettes taxes cannot fund a blood bank meh????? How many people need blood a year compared to other developed countries?

You talk as if people choose to be in that position.

All the hospital charges including lab testing and staff pay already added to hospital bill, to charge money for blood is billing you twice for the same services.

That is why there is no transperency, because if there is, people like you won't be saying what you said. Understand?!?!?!?!

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REPLY:

I fully agree with u! U'r words make alot of sense!

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Originally posted by: The Republic

Sunday Times post a one page article making the hospital look faultless and throwing medical terms into it.

But it did not explain why did 200 families and friends turn up in quick time if there was enough blood.

It did not address the husband's two points. One is medical staff telling him higher authorization needed if more blood is needed while wife is dying. Second is why did the staff at Blood Bank tell him it is not time to open shop yet when he went there personally.

It seems, in such a crisis situation, the whole situation was poorly handled by the hospital and blood bank. Was their staff untrained for such situations ?
Is this poor QC on staff by both blood bank and hospital ?

It seems a farce that 200 people need to turn up in a quick notice, the husband get answers like higher authorization needed when wife is dying and he personally needed to go blood bank and was told time to open has no started.

Many questions remained unanswered and the worse thing is, the husband is paying private hospital premium price.

If the quality of medical staff and doctors had dropped in Singapore, the Health Ministry should investigate and solve this issue fast lest another similiar situation happen.

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In my honest opinion, it is not 200 blood donors who couldn't save her, but rather the system that's bound down by all the red tape. Condolences to the family.