Interview with Eli Bente Langva, head of department, Department of Women, Pediatrics and Garden Billing at Klinikk Ålesund.
Question 1: The state administrator writes that the caesarean section should have been done before – how could this happen?
Response: The department follows national guidelines for the delivery of pregnant women. All birth processes are closely monitored. A number of professionals have assessed the registrations of the incident in the course and afterwards.
The State Administrator’s assessment of the registrations made differs from these assessments. We therefore want to go through this again with the State Administrator.
Question 2: Does the health trust then mean that the woman received prompt help and was monitored as she should – and consequently also received a caesarean section at the correct time?
Response: We have a different assessment than the State Administrator on this matter and have asked for dialogue to shed light on this. It is therefore not natural for us to comment on this matter further at this time.
Question 3: The state administrator further writes that “There are no documented routine changes or other structural changes in the company’s organization as a result of the incident”. What is the reason for that?
Response: This is related to point 1. The department has treated the incident as it was assessed by our professionals. Our assessments were different from the assessment of the State Administrator and we have therefore taken the initiative for dialogue to review the assessments.
The incident was discussed in the quality council in the section and department. No errors were found in the handling. The closure allowed for a reopening if new views emerged from the supervisory authorities. Every year, the company carries out many incident analyzes. There are different ways to do this. The company has a dialogue with the supervisory authorities to ensure the quality work in the best possible way and method.
Question 4: The state administrator writes that «Delayed and particularly fragmented dissemination of information from the health trust has not only delayed the case processing significantly; it has also led to a further weakening of trust in the parents’ health service ». What is the health trust’s comment on this?
Response: Unfortunately, it has taken a long time, the report points to several reasons for this. Helse Møre og Romsdal has reviewed its routines to improve internal coordination in any new cases.
Question 5: This is the third known child death in the health trust in the same period. How could this happen? How does this affect their people’s trust in the maternity wards of the county?
Response: It is very rare for children to die during the newborn period, but it is always very sad when it happens. Such incidents affect everyone involved, and the thoughts go first and foremost to the relatives.
This incident was in 2019, before the other two deaths in 2020, which are much talked about. There is no connection between this incident and the child deaths in 2020 (NRK has the incident analyzes from the other two cases available). In HMR, approx. 2500 children every year, of which approx. 1300 in Ålesund, where all risk pregnancies are centralized. I think there is reason to have confidence in the food supply. The department has routines for systematic quality work within maternity care. Unforeseen situations are regularly trained throughout the company. The department has a routine review of all births in the medical group, and joint teaching is carried out with the midwives and partners.
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