The Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating the death of an 11-month-old baby who reportedly suffered cardiorespiratory arrest outside the Idanha-a-Nova health centre, in Castelo Branco district.
TV Record reported this tragedy yesterday citing the infant’s young mother saying that treatment of her son was refused “because it was close to closing time”.
Diário de Notícias reports today that the Castelo Branco Public Prosecutor’s Office has already begun an investigation, and that the family’s lawyer has said he will review the case to determine the next steps.
The Castelo Branco Local Health Unit (ULS) has opened an internal investigation to determine what happened and, in a statement, the Ministry of Health detailed INEM’s response, stating that the Urgent Patient Guidance Center (CODU) received a call from the health centre requesting support for an 11-month-old baby in cardiorespiratory arrest (CPA), but despite efforts, “the baby did not recover from the CPA situation.”
The baby’s mother, named as Patrícia, aged 20, told TV Record that the centre refused to provide care because it was close to closing time, repeats Lusa.
According to the mother, the boy was healthy, but started to get sick, without appearing to be anything serious, or at least, anything that could predict the outcome.
The family went to the Idanha-a-Nova health centre and was referred to the Pediatric Emergency Department at Amato Lusitano Hospital in Castelo Branco, where the baby was prescribed medication, “but his condition worsened”.
Upon returning to the Idanha-a-Nova health centre, staff refused treatment, and 112 was called to transport the baby back to the hospital in Castelo Branco – but he ‘ended up dying at the door of the health centre’, writes Lusa.
DN confirms that the Castelo Branco ULS has already corroborated these events, regretting the outcome and saying, in a statement, that “it was not possible to avoid” the child’s death after his return to the Idanha-a-Nova Complementary Care Service with a “worsening of his clinical condition”.
The Ministry of Health confirmed that an Emergency Medical and Resuscitation Vehicle (VMER), an ambulance from the Idanha-a-Nova Volunteer Fire Department and a Mobile Emergency Psychological Intervention Unit (UMIPE) were all activated.
As other reports stress, the little boy’s mother is still in a state of shock.
Source: LUSA/ Diário de Notícias/ recordeuropa.com
