The husband of a 28-year-old woman who died just four hours after delivering her baby at Mayo University Hospital has settled High Court actions over her death for €1.9 million.
First-time mother Nayyab Tariq, a microbiologist in Ireland from Pakistan, suffered a massive postpartum haemhorrage, and went into shock and cardiac arrest just four hours after giving birth to her daughter in 2020, the High Court heard.
Outside the Four Courts on Wednesday, her husband Ayaz Ul Hassan said he hoped such an outcome does not happen to anyone ever again.
He said the settlement of his actions for nervous shock and over his wife’s death has brought "some sort of closure", knowing that the reassurance he has been given from the HSE to make sure that the recommendations in the wake of Ms Tariq’s death are being met "and fixes are being put in place" to make sure that this does not happen again.
The couple had planned to have more children and buy a home in Ireland, with their mortgage offer coming two days after Ms Tariq’s death.
Asked about the loss of his wife as they started out to make a life in this country, Mr Ul Hassan said: "To be honest I don't think it's something that can be put into words.
"I never got to experience the fatherhood that I should have, and I was forced into being a single parent and raising my daughter, and to be fair, I could not have done that without the support I have had all the time from family and friends."
Failings
In a letter to the High Court, Mayo University Hospital unreservedly apologised for "the failings in the standard of care provided at the hospital", including the poor communication and updates provided during the time that Ms Nayyab Tariq was in the operating theatre.
It added: "We understand that this apology cannot change or negate the depth of your loss, but we wish to assure you that every single recommendation and issue that arose in relation to the standard of care provided is being addressed in full by the hospital."
The apology from hospital manager Catherine Donohoe also expressed "sincerest condolences to Mr Ul Hassan on his wife’s untimely death" on March 22nd, 2020.
"I appreciate the enormity of her loss to you, your daughter Nayyab Jnr, the Ul Hassan and Choudrey Tariq families, and especially to Nayyab’s parents, Muhammad and Razia.
"The loss of Nayyab at a time when she should have been embarking on a new journey of motherhood is a devastating tragedy for the entire family."
The letter added: "Her loss is deeply regretted by all staff and management at the hospital especially hose who were involved in Nayyab’s care."
The family’s counsel, Damien Higgins SC, with Doireann O’Mahony BL instructed by Callan Tansey solicitors, told the High Court it was their case that the signs of post-partum haemhorrage were not recognised.
Counsel said the circumstances of the case were heart-rending and devastating.
Medical misadvanture
Two years ago, a coroner recorded a verdict of medical misadventure in the case. The inquest heard Ms Tariq died after a heart attack following post-partum haemorrhage, retained placenta, bleeding arising from ectopic deciduosis, and shock.
Ayaz Ul Hassan, a biomedical scientist who lives in Ballyhaunis, Co Mayo had sued the HSE in the High court over the death of his wife on March 22nd 2020.
It was claimed that after the birth of their daughter, and when Ms Tariq was brought to theatre for placenta removal chaos allegedly unfolded.
There was alleged miscommunication, alleged non-communication and delay in recognition and treatment of shock as result of significant postpartum haemorrhage.
Procedure
It was claimed that when the procedure to remove Ms Tariq’s retained placenta began, she developed clear signs of shock and her clinical condition subsequently deteriorated to the point where she suffered cardiac arrest.
Despite extensive emergency resuscitative efforts, just four hours after delivering her baby daughter, Ms Tariq died.
As the event unfolded, Mr Ul Hassan waited in a room with the baby, not knowing what was happening. He was reassured two or three times that everything was fine, it was claimed, and then finally was brought to the theatre and was told things were in fact not going well.
He remembers vividly looking through the theatre window as he gowned up and seeing his wife undergoing CPR. He sat by his wife as attempts were made to save her life.
Mr Ul Hassan claimed his life was completely changed by his wife’s sudden death. He stopped everything that he was doing and focused on looking after his baby, the court heard.
The HSE admitted a breach of duty for its failure to appropriately manage Ms Tariq’s blood loss after her transfer to theatre following her baby’s delivery on the evening of March 22nd, 2020.
However, all claims relating to Ms Tariq’s care and treatment before the transfer to theatre were denied.
An internal review found delays in recognising that the young woman who had just given birth was in shock were a "key causal factor" in Ms Tariq’s death. The review into Ms Tariq’s death found her skin pallor was "initially less obvious" due to her ethnicity.
Approving the settlement, including the division of the statutory mental distress solatium payment of €35,000, Mr Justice Paul Coffey said it was a sad and tragic case, and extended his sympathy to Mr Ul Hassan and his extended family.
