Investigation underway into death of infant

An investigation is underway to determine whether malpractice or negligence was the cause of another baby’s death which occurred on Friday at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. The child was born on Sunday, August twenty third at the K.H.M.H. and was discharged the following day. His parents took him home to San Ignacio that Monday but his conditioned deteriorated and on Thursday, August twenty seventh, he developed a high fever and stopped feeding and they rushed him to the San Ignacio Town Hospital. The baby’s condition was too serious and they transferred him to the Belmopan Hospital that same Thursday afternoon. Pediatrician, Doctor Javier Magaña, diagnosed the baby with an acute case of jaundice and an infection which developed from the jaundice and blood incompatibility. Magana told News Five that the newborn appeared extremely lethargic and was in a critical condition when he was admitted to the hospital. He explained to us that because the parents are not blood compatible, a blood transfusion was required. The procedure could not be done at the Belmopan Hospital because that facility is not equipped with a ventilator. The decision was taken to transfer the baby to the K.H.M.H. But it is not certain whether that transfusion occurred and the child died the following day, Friday, August twenty eighth. Director of Health Services, Doctor Michael Pitts, told News Five today that every unusual death is investigated and that one would soon begin into this matter. This afternoon the Public Relations Officer at the K.H.M.H., Gary Ayuso, told News Five that the hospital’s Quality Assurance Unit had not received any complaints of negligence or malpractice on their part. So far, a post mortem has not yet been conducted to determine the cause of the baby’s death.