PHILIPSBURG:--- The Inspectorate of Health Dr. Earl Best is busy investigating the death of a one year old baby who died at the St. Maarten Medical Center (SMMC) early Wednesday morning.
According to information reaching SMN News, the infant's mother is a nurse at SMMC and she took her child to the medical institution sometime during the night on Tuesday when she noticed her child was suffering from a severe allergy that causes convulsions. SMN News further learnt that when the child was admitted at SMMC the specialist there decided that the child had to be taken overseas for further medical treatment. "At that point SZV was contacted and they are the ones that decided which medical institution the patient will be flown to in the Dominican Republic." A source told SMN News that SZV made all the arrangements that same night and an air-ambulance was flown in to St. Maarten for the evacuation. The child was picked up by government ambulance and taken to the Princess Juliana International Airport where the air ambulance was waiting. It is said when the baby left SMMC it was in stable condition, hooked up with tubes to its lungs. However, while transporting the child to PJIAE one of the tubes allegedly came out and the personnel that came to transport the baby were not able to replace that tube, so they returned the patient back to the St. Maarten Medical Center in critical condition. The baby died sometime before 8am Wednesday morning.
SMN News contacted Dr. Earl Best on Thursday for information on the baby's death and was told that the inspectorate is busy investigating all angles of the case including SZV who chose the hospital and the team to evacuate the child. Furthermore, the health inspectorate said he will be investigating the case in-depth; because he wants to know why the specialist at SMMC chose to have the baby sent off island when that patient could have been treated on St. Maarten. Dr. Best said at the time SMN News contacted him he did not have the case file in his hands yet. He said all cases of allergy including those with severe convulsions can be treated locally. Furthermore, the baby was admitted just after midnight and his view there was enough time to save the child's life.
SMN News contacted SMMC Director Kees Klarenbeek for a comment on the case but was told that he was in a meeting and was unable to take phone calls. Later SMMC returned a phone call to SMN News inquiring what SMN News wanted to inquire about before the Director Mr. Klarenbeek takes the phone call. When the questions pertaining to the death of the infant were posed, SMMC said they will respond on Friday in writing.
Several phone calls to SZV Interim Director Reginald Willemsberg also went unanswered on Thursday.
