-family blames negligence, probe underway

The Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) came under fresh criticism for negligence yesterday after the death of seven-year-old Quincy Softleigh Jnr, who was being treated for a back injury.

Quincy Softleigh

GPH Chief Executive Officer Michael Khan yesterday told Stabroek News that the case is being investigated. He said he had met with the nurses and the director of Intensive Care Unit (ICU), where the boy was being treated. A statement is expected to be issued by the hospital later today.

Softleigh Jnr was taken to the GPH last Wednesday after he fell and hit his back while playing. He was x-rayed, given an injection and panadol then sent home, his parents Quincy and Natasha said yesterday. The child’s father said that his son was again taken to the hospital last Thursday, after he continued to complain about pain. Natasha pointed out that the doctor who looked at her son the second time was upset after looking at his x-rays. She said that doctor said that the child should have been admitted from the first visit.

It turned out that the child developed spinal complications and lost the use of his legs, his father said. Called Junior by his family, the child was admitted to the ICU where “he had a tube in he mouth and in he nose,” his father explained. On Thursday, the father added, consent was given for an operation to be done on Junior so that a “fatter tube” could be inserted in his throat. Things, however, took a fatal turn yesterday.

“This morning when I came I saw the tube what they put in he throat out, so ah ask the nurse what happen to this tube in the boy throat. She turn and she say how, ‘we did tidying he and the tube come out,’” Natasha said. “So I say, ‘how the tube come out and you tidying he then y’all got to be handling he rough mek the tube in he throat come out,’” she added. When she inquired whether the tube would be reinserted, the nurse replied in the negative.

It was around seven in the morning when Natasha shared her last words with her son. “I talk to he and I say, ‘Junior, mommy love ya‘ and he say, ‘love you mommy.’”

She added that her request to speak to the doctor was met with a dismissive answer from the nurse stationed in the ICU. “I went to the nurse and say ‘nurse, when the doctor come to make he rounds I would like to speak to him.’ She say, ‘if ah remember.’ Ah say, ‘not if you remember. I’ll be sitting outside when they come to make they rounds I want to talk to he.’”

As Natasha waited on the doctor, her son was being rushed to emergency surgery. “Is ’til near visiting hour, 12 time, then they gon tell me they gone with he to theatre. Me say, ‘how y‘all gon carry this child to the theatre without informing me?’” she recalled.

An upset Natasha vented, “Whole day I sit down out hey, they ain‘t come and tell me they carrying ma child to the theatre, they just go long with he to the theatre.” It was a doctor who alerted her of the surgery after it was completed.

According to Natasha, her son was rushed to the operating room from another entrance. Unaware that her son had undergone surgery, Natasha said it was a doctor who came out of the theatre area who told her that the surgery was a success and that she could go to see her son, who was taken into the ICU again.

However, when she attempted to go to her son she was told several times by the nurses that he was being attended to by the doctor. “After three O’clock, a nurse call me she say the doctor want talk to you,” Natasha said. When she went in, the nurse was “banging, banging” the child she said as she made a pumping movement with her hands. “When ah look at ma son face one side ah he face swell and one of he teeth come out he mouth. they say how when they fighting fuh put down the tube down he throat then the teeth come out he mouth,” Natasha said.

According to the boy’s father, a nurse said that his son had fallen off the bed during the course of the night and that was how he lost his tooth and got a black and blue eye.

An appalled Natasha said that as the nurse continued pumping her child, the nurse told her, “I’m sorry. You know ya son had lil complications and he dead.” Natasha repeatedly questioned why she was not told about her son’s surgery although she was present at the hospital. “Me son come out the theatre alive. Is right in deh (pointing to the ICU) they kill he. Them kill he inside ah deh. Right deh them kill me son!” she said.

A more composed Quincy said, “I need some justice. It is negligent of the hospital! I feel down-spirit. I feel neglected because they coulda do something better than that.”

Young Quincy was described as a jovial child. Many relatives who were at the hospital yesterday cried silent tears and seemed shocked still at his passing.