Health Ministry Puts End to Debate on Infant's Death in Zgharta Hospital
The Ministry of Health put an end Thursday to an uproar over the death of an infant at the Family Medical Center in the northern district of Zgharta, declaring that the child died of “severe medical complications and pulmonary infections.”
The controversy had started after members of the infant's family spoke of “medical negligence due to financial reasons.”
The child, two-month-old Omar Sadeq, died at the medical center on Thursday and his body was handed over to his family, which hails from Tripoli.
Citing reports, MTV said the family “accused the hospital's medical staff of withholding medical treatment due to a financial hurdle of around 15 million Lebanese pounds.”
In remarks to al-Manar television, the infant's grandfather meanwhile quoted hospital officials as saying that “LBP 15 million must be paid or else we won't continue the treatment.”
But the hospital's owner and director Qaisar Mouawad, a former MP, held a press conference and rejected claims that the death was caused by “negligence and the family's inability to pay 15 million pounds.”
“The hospital was not lax in treating this child, who was born in week 28 of pregnancy after a C-section and stayed in intensive care for 35 days, during which he received full medical care,” Mouawad said.
“He died this morning due to pulmonary infections and the body was handed over to the family less than two hours after death,” he added.
The Ministry of Health for its part issued a statement confirming that Omar died due to “severe medical complications and pulmonary infections, after he stayed in hospital for more than 30 days.”
It said the statement was issued after a probe by the ministry's Medical Care Directorate.
Meanwhile, Imadeddine Sadeq, the infant's father, declared that “the child received full treatment and did not die because of a medical error.”
“What happened was a misunderstanding and what I said about the payment was aimed at shaking some asleep consciences that only care about their interests,” he added.
“What Dr. Qaisar Mouawad said and explained is 100% correct and I received the body without paying anything,” the father went on to say, thanking the medical center for its “good treatment.”
The case received heightened media attention after two children died this month due to the refusal of hospitals to admit them.
Y.R.
| Copyright © 2012 Naharnet.com. All Rights Reserved. | https://naharnet.com/stories/en/171228 |