The government brought in a specialist to treat a baby that was burned at Mount Saint John’s Medical Centre while receiving care.
Speaking at a press conference this week, Consultant Paediatrician at the hospital, Dr. Shivon Bell-Jarvis said “we do acknowledge that babies under the care of the Mount Saint John’s Medical Centre were negatively affected and for this we deeply express our empathy, we are regrettably concerned that these things did happen”.
“I can definitely say of the four babies that would have been recently highlighted in the press two have had complete restoration. The others we are continually supporting not only the patients but their families to ensure that they have the best standard of care”, she said.
“In collaboration with the Ministry of Health, we have a plastic surgeon who is here this week, all expenses paid, who will see our case affected with the face injury to ensure that she has optimal restoration”, Dr. Bell-Jarvis revealed.
The doctor said this baby was injured while being warmed with a radiant warmer instrument shortly after delivery.
“The case of the baby who would have had the face affected was a baby who was significantly cold. When babies are cold, they have blue hands and feet. They can be less active, feed less well and therefore they are ultimately, if not warmed appropriately, at risk of death”, she explained.
“For this case, the nurse doing her best to ensure that this baby was warmed, recognizing the significant potential negative impact, in being overzealous a negative impact did occur”.
She explained other babies received burns as a result of IV treatment.
“With focusing on the IV related issues, we recognize that this is a known adverse outcome that can occur in adults and children, but our new-borns are especially at risk, especially our premature babies because again their veins are fragile and medication that is utilized for lifesaving measures is very potent so that is a known complication internationally. We won’t trivialize it, however, because for quality of care we have to ensure that these incidents are minimized”.
Revealing statistics of babies injured at the hospital, she said “from 2013 to 2018 we have had 0.5 out of 100 of our babies, that translates to one baby out of 300 that are admitted per year”.
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