The late Nayyab Tariq.

First time mother died at Mayo University Hospital hours after giving birth, inquest told

A 28-year-old woman died in a hospital four hours after giving birth to a baby girl while undergoing surgery to remove the placenta, an inquest in Swinford was told today .

Ayaz Ul Hassan, 116, The Maples, Ballyhaunis, gave evidence to the Coroner for Mayo, Pat O’Connor, that he had been concerned about a “sudden gush” of blood onto the bed linen after his wife, Nayyab Tariq, gave birth at Mayo University Hospital to their first child.

Mayo University Hospital.

Mr. Ul Hassan said that the amount of blood seemed substantial to him but the attending medics did not seem to be overly concerned by it.

Mr. Ul Hassan outlined that after Nayyab went into labour on the morning of September 22, 2020, they attended Mayo University Hospital where his wife was admitted to the labour ward.

“We were both nervous and excited. From our understanding the labour was progressing as expected, contractions were increasing over time.”

After the baby was delivered Mr. Ul Hassan was invited to cut the umbilical cord and did so.

In his deposition to the hearing, he said he will never forget the ‘shimmering glow and twinkle in his wife’s eyes’ when he told her: “Baby’s nose is exactly like yours.”

Mr. Ul Hussan said that when the baby was moved to the incubator he saw blood down the right hand side of the bed which had begun to pool on the floor.

The couple were told that the placenta was not yet delivered.

Thirty minutes after delivery of the baby, despite massage of the mother’s bladder, there was still no sign of placental delivery.

Mr. Ul Hassan said he was told by a midwife or nurse not to worry that it was a normal procedure if the placenta was not delivered.

He added that he was informed his wife would be brought to the operating theatre and it would only take 30-40 minutes to remove the placenta and they should be back shortly after.

Mr. Ul Hassan said the amount of communication he received while Nayyab was in theatre was limited.

On the first occasion he was told not to worry that everything was going to plan, that the placenta had been removed.

The next time he was spoken to he was told again that everything was fine.

In a deposition which was read to the inquest, Mr. Ul Hassan explained: “The next communication I received was five minutes later when I was told that she had deteriorated and that the team was attempting to resuscitate her.

“They continued to attempt resuscitation but it proved impossible to bring her back.

“Never for a moment did I expect that we would go into hospital to have a baby and that those would be the last moments with my wife.

“Now we will never be able to hear her voice or see her again. My daughter never got a chance to meet her mother, she will never be able to feel her mother, she’ll never know the love of her mother.

“She will only know her mother through photographs. She should not be visiting her grave. Instead Nayyab should be playing with baby Nayyab like she always imagined.”

Earlier in the hearing, Mr. Ul Hassan outlined the history of his relationship with his late wife whom he described as “the love of my life”.

He said they were both originally from Lahore, Pakistan, had met in 2014 through their parents, and “immediately knew it was going to be a lifelong relationship”. They married in 2017. Two years later Hayyab arrived in Ireland to join her husband, excited at starting a new life here.

Mr. Ul Hassan described his late wife as a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother-to-be who lived her life to the fullest.

She was, he added, an exceptionally bright and high-achieving student who progressed to the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in Lahore, winning gold medals there for her studies.

Mr. Conor Halpin, senior counsel (representing the HSE and Mayo University Hospital), put it to Mr. Ul Hassan in cross-examination that the doctors and nurses will tell the inquest they do not recall pooling of blood at any time.

However, replying to Johan Verbruggen (Callan Tansey Solicitors), Mr. Ul Hassan said blood had been trickling down the right hand side of the bed and it pooled up.

Mary O’Connor, midwife at MUH (now retired), gave evidence that there was no blood on the floor.

Staff were dealing with a blood loss of 500 millilitres and care was ongoing.

Evidence was given that Mrs. Ul Hassan suffered a cardiac arrest in theatre during surgery to remove the placenta after developing ventricular fibrillation.

Dr. Meabh Ni Bhuinnneain, consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, told the hearing that Mrs. Ul Hassan died after a cardiac arrhythmia arrest which had been preceded by post-partum haemorrhage.

The hearing is continuing.