K.H.M.H. launches investigation into death of ill patient
An Orange Walk family is tonight mourning the death of their infant after he passed away just after four this morning at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Twenty-seven days old Josiah Murcia was born prematurely and his lungs were not fully developed and Baby Josiah was transported to the K.H.M.H. from the Northern Regional Hospital. But according to the family, he got infected with a bacteria which they believe may have contributed to his death and they are putting the blame on the national referral hospital.
Jairo Murcia, Father of Deceased Baby
“My son born premature and we ship him from Orange Walk to Belize because they said that they couldn’t handle the problem that he had so we bring ahn dah Belize. We bring ahn and they di treat ahn good and everything. But after twenty-five, twenty-six days, he get sick. The doctors dehn tell me that dah wah bacteria and when we ask them what the bacteria comes from, they said that they don’t know, but dehn di try treat it. And we asked them, how unu wah treat something weh unu noh know where it comes from. So dehn say that the bacteria dehn inside of the room where all the babies dehn deh. And my son just dead this morning.”
Jairo Murcia
Duane Moody
“He was a healthy baby on Sunday and after that, his condition deteriorated. Tell us about what the doctors and you guys saw.”
Jairo Murcia
“Yes he mi good and everything. When we talked to him, he laughed. He stretched out his foot, his hand. And from Sunday to Monday ih get sick, his skin get white. Now my wife gone in and ask the doctor weh happen and the doctor say that it is the same bacteria…the bacteria di kill ahn more then.
IN 07:57:30 Gone buy the coffin, when we reach there, the secretary tell we that dah noh only we come there for this week; that dah five other babies done dead off of the same disease weh my baby dead off of. When unu see this, please make the hospital try do something about the disease weh deh in deh. If dehn have to lock it down and try clean out the place, unu do that mien because people babies di dead and maybe dehn noh feel it, but the parents feel it.”
News Five contacted the K.H.M.H. for response to the comments made by Murcia. But because of the late hour, in which the story came to our studios, the K.H.M.H. investigation is in the developing stages and its management will have an official response on a later date.
The same thing happened to us as well..On Sunday, the doctor told us that the baby was doing good and that he just needed to breastfeed and he would be discharged. On Tuesday morning, my wife noticed a bit of jaundice and they immediately attended to the baby and told my wife to leave the room. Baby died Tuesday night at 8:13 due to septic shock, due to neonatal sepsis. I am told that it is a bacterial infection from the environment the babies are in. I have heard, but not verified that there were 2 other babies that died before ours, and 3 others after ours within a period of a couple days. Something has to be done for the sake of other babies that may enter the NICU at KHMH. I would like to touch base with the other parents that sufferred the same fate. Perhaps we can help prevent this from happening in the future?
It’s a terrible fact that hospitals are full of disease and bacteria — after all that’s where sick people congregate.
But if it’s true that five other babies died the same way in a week, there must be investigation, accountability, and punishment. That level of disease running rampant in a hospital should be unacceptable to anyone, even our Minister of Health, who has a famously high level of tolerance of patient deaths.
I’m eager to see what a full and transparent investigation shows. I hope the press keep their eyes on this ball.
Good day,
Im Marissa was watching the news on the web when I came about the article where a baby died aft khmh due to a bacteria. I Also had d same misfotune to loose my child due to a virus in the Intensive care baby unit. The baby was born healthy but died 10 after in the hospital. There answed was the baby catch a bacteria. If you need more informarition you can contact me at 6244737. As i know of other mothers who loss their babies with the same bacteria and in less dat 8 days. I just want this known so the hospital do a cleanin in there and help prevent more infants deaths.
this is known as nosocomial infections, especially commomn in ICUs , that space in KHMH was desingn for 3 or 4 babies sometimes they have 15, Big problem seems to be in this place but as usual I think they will just cover it up, Karl Heusner style, did any thing come out of 2 commission of inquiries,
Its unfortunate that this keeps going. My daughter died Dec 9th, 2012 to the same thing septic shock due to neonatal sepsis. Apparently there was a deadly bug bug Klebsiella phenumonea in the ward and she could not fight it off. It is sad that it keeps repeating itself. Would be good to make a collection of all of us who have lost our babies and see the many lives that have been affected.