The Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) in an official statement on the death of seven-year-old Quincy Softleigh Jnr said it has launched an internal investigation into his death and “an official report will be issued and the press will be briefed accordingly.”
A release issued by the hospital’s Public Relations Office yesterday said “the medical and nursing teams are continuing their consultations and the patient’s chart is still being reviewed.”
Captioned ‘GPHC responds to Kaieteur and Stabroek newspaper articles,’ the statement also deplored “the level of professionalism and journalistic approach employed by some media houses” when carrying reports about the GPH, saying it was “appalled and disappointed.”
Lashing out at Kaieteur News (KN) in particular for “unethical and irresponsible journalism” more especially in relation to its headline ‘Murdered at GPHC,’ the hospital said this title “is very frightening and is likely to drive fear into the citizens of the country and ultimately do more harm rather than cause people to support the media house via purchases.”
Young Softleigh passed away on Friday afternoon after undergoing an operation. The lad’s distraught mother Natasha said that although she was at the hospital the entire day, her consent was not sought.
Softleigh’s parents, Natsha and Quincy Softleigh, are accusing the hospital of negligence which they say led to their son’s death. The parents had told this newspaper that their son’s face was swollen and a tooth was missing when they saw him after his death.
“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. The boy was admitted to the hospital last week Thursday after he injured his back while playing.
