A new inquiry promising “to take all the time necessary to reach the truth of the facts, with ethics, care and justice” has been opened into the tragic death of eight-year-old Paulo Silaghi from Portimão – the boy who died of a ruptured appendix after three trips to two different Algarve hospitals and a local health centre.
This second inquiry comes after an initial report from Portimão Hospital absolved doctors there of any wrong-doing.
It comes from ARS/Algarve, the regional health authority, whose health centre in Portimão Paulo visited a few days before his death.
Paulo’s mother Délia took her son to the centre after doctors at Portimão hospital concluded her child was not in any danger. As the child’s condition deteriorated, Délia Silaghi decided to go to the local health centre. There doctors diagnosed a urinary infection. The tragedy was that. in fact, Paulo Silaghi was suffering from acute appendicitis which ruptured days later – at which point a visit to Alvor private hospital saw him referred, as an emergency, back into the state system (see story in last week’s edition).
As this second inquiry goes ahead, Sul Informação reports that Paulo Silaghi’s parents are considering legal action and that Portimão Hospital has sent “all the documentation in its power” to the Inspectorate-General of Health (Inspeção Geral de Saúde), confirming it will be available to answer any accusations in court.
