Health Bureau investigating death of toddler

The Health Bureau (SSM) is investigating the cause behind the sudden death of a 14-month-old boy on August 29, the SSM informed in a statement.

This statement comes in reply to the news aired on several media outlets yesterday, which informed of the sudden death of the child after being treated for a fever in a medical clinic near his home.

According to the information from several Chinese language press outlets that cite the parents of the child, he showed signs of the fever in the morning and was taken to the clinic were he was checked and medicated. Later that day, after returning home, the mother said he had recovered a little from the fever with a lowered temperature, but that evening after he had gone to bed, his mother discovered he was not breathing. She then called the emergency services.

In the statement, the SSM sought to clarify that for the time being there is no knowledge of any legal claim of “medical malpractice” brought by the parents against the medical clinic.

The SSM also informed that the child was pronounced dead after an unsuccessful resuscitation performed in an unidentified hospital unit.

The Health Bureau also said that according to the current law regarding medical malpractice, if the parents suspect such malpractice might have occurred, they can apply for an independent expert report to be submitted to the Medical Error Expert Committee.  RM