Report vindicates medics in young girl’s death

An internal report was urgently submitted to the health ministry, giving full account of events in an 8-year-old girl’s death after her mother declined specialised medical treatment and took her out of hospital.

(Click here for an update to the story)

The little girl was taken by her parents to the Emergency Room at Limassol General Hospital on Sunday evening with high fever.

After her mother signed a hospital release form, she took her daughter home for the night against doctors’ advice and came back later under more serious circumstances with medics trying but failing to resuscitate the child.

Health Minister Constantinos Ioannou received a report on Tuesday, which appeared to vindicate hospital staff.

According to the report, the child was brought to the ER with foot-and-mouth inflammation and dehydration. The parents had told medical staff that the child was running a fever for two days and refused to take solids or liquids.

The report goes on to say that an ER doctor, who examined the child thoroughly, placed a phone call to the pediatrician on duty to let her know about his findings.

The two doctors made the decision to keep the child in hospital in order to receive specialised treatment, with the ER doctor explaining to the parents that the condition of their child was serious and warranted hospitalisation.

But during the transport of the child into the pediatric clinc of the hospital, the mother was refusing to let her daughter stay in the hospital.

A nurse contacted the pediatrician on duty once again by phone and the parents were later told they could sign a hospital release form, essentially declining medical care of their child and assuming responsibility.

Hours later, Monday morning around 2am according to media reports, the mother came back to the ER with her daughter, with the report describing the child in a comatose state.

Medics called the pediatrician on duty and the deputy director of the clinic, who were joined by an anesthesiologist, in the ER.

A call was also placed to an intensive care physician in Nicosia’s Makarios Children Hospital, who was standing by to be consulted remotely.

The internal report says despite the doctors and medical staff going above and beyond to save the child’s life, the little girl passed away.

It also says that medics acted appropriately and with sensitivity, while also respecting the wishes of the legal guardian.

The report goes on to say that medical care can be provided to a child only with the consent of a parent or legal guardian, according to a patients bill as part of Patient Rights Protection Law of 2004.

Unlike a probe, the report was a full account of events put together by hospital administrators, which was ordered by the minister.

The official autopsy, conducted Tuesday morning by state forensic pathologist Eleni Antoniou, revealed the girl had gone into septic shock, while additional lab test results were still pending.