PNP Wants Comprehensive Response to Accusations of Negligence at Bustamante Hospital

Opposition Spokesperson on Health and Wellness, Dr. Alfred Dawes, has called on the Ministry of Health to issue a more comprehensive response to allegations of negligence at Bustamante Hospital for Children.

The allegations surround the tragic death of Alexandrianna Jones.

Robian Williams reports.

Reports indicate that Alexandrianna Jones passed away due to complications following a surgical procedure. 

Bustamante Hospital for Children says it has launched an internal investigation to review the circumstances surrounding the case. 

Senior medical officer at the Bustamante Hospital for Children, Dr. Michelle-Ann Richards-Dawson, says the hospital is still awaiting a formal complaint from Alexandrianna’s parents.

However, Dr. Dawes says her family has raised serious concerns about the circumstances of her death. This includes allegations that they were informed long after the child had already passed. 

Dr. Dawes has criticised the ministry’s handling of the situation, labelling its sole public statement as “insensitive” and “lacking in substance.”

He emphasised that sufficient evidence should already be available to clarify the timeline of events surrounding Jones’s death. 

He urged the authorities to take immediate action to provide closure for both the family and the concerned public.

Adding to his criticism, Dr. Dawes says the critically ill child had to be transported to another facility for an emergency CT scan before treatment for her complications could proceed. 

He expressed frustration at the lack of a functioning CT scanner at Bustamante Hospital for Children, a leading paediatric institution in the Caribbean.