35-year-old Ross Caldera and his 34-year-old wife Stacey Nadarajah are suing Bacchus Marsh Hospital in Victoria over the death of their child.
reports the couple have lodged a writ in the County Court alleging ‘negligence’ by the staff of Djerriwarrh Health Services’ caused the death of their baby.
The incident dates back to November 2013 when Stacey who was due on Nov 21, complained of ‘new symptoms and concerns’.
The couple have claimed that when Stacey went to the hospital, just a day before she had scheduled a caesarean, she told the staff about reduced foetal movement.
But the medical staff allegedly struggled to use an ultrasound machine to detect a heartbeat. Instead, she was told that everything is OK and was sent home.
“About seven different people came in to try and use the ultrasound machine, but they didn’t know how to operate it,” Ross told .
“They even pulled out the manual in front of us. Then they told us to come back the next day for the C-section.”
Next day, another clinician could finally use the ultrasound machine and told the couple that their child had died.
They conducted a caesarean to deliver her stillborn baby.
Hospital authorities have deemed this stillbirth ‘unavoidable’ but the couple disagrees.
Their case was investigated among the 11 suspect deaths at the Bacchus Marsh hospital but was classified as “unavoidable”.
Mr Caldera said, “It is frightening. I don’t even want to go and see a doctor any more. I just don’t trust them.”
The couple now is seeking unspecified damages and in their legal claim stated they have suffered injury, loss and damage.
Slater and Gordon medical lawyer Anne Shortall has told the couple had been through an unimaginable ordeal.
“We continue to call on the government to broaden the scope of its investigations of Djerriwarrh Health to include the many cases of traumatic birth injury to babies and mothers, in an effort to expedite the resolution of such matters,” she said.
