The parents of a toddler who had part of his leg amputated in the UK are taking action against the health authorities for damages after what they claim to be the result of lack of proper treatment at Mater Dei Hospital.
Saviour Seguna and his wife Joanne filed a claim for damages after their young son, Zayn, had to be medically transferred to the UK’s Great Ormond Street Hospital where he had his leg amputated. They claim their son suffered a permanent disability due to negligence at Mater Dei and the lack of urgent treatment given.
The parents filed a judicial letter in the First Hall of the Civil Court against Health Minister Chris Fearne, Mater Dei chief executive Celia Falzon, Superintendent of Public Health Charmaine Gauci, chief government medical officer Walter Busuttil, the hospital’s clinical director Joseph Debono, and the ministry’s director general of health services Clarence Pace.
The couple claimed that the health authorities were “solely responsible” for the disability suffered by their son due to negligence and lack of necessary action. Through their lawyers Franco Debono, Marion Camilleri and Francesca Zarb, the parents gave the health authorities one week to come forward to settle damages caused.
The family’s ordeal started last November while they were in Malta to mourn the loss of a relative. Zayn was seven months old at the time.
When his parents realised he was struggling to breathe, they took him to Mater Dei Hospital for treatment. He was kept overnight and discharged the following day.
However, he was rushed to hospital again a week later where he was immediately admitted to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and eventually transferred to London’s Great Ormond Street Hospital where surgeons removed the lower half of the leg.
When clinicians indicate that patients require very specialised care not available locally, the hospital has arrangements in place with foreign specialised hospitals to send patients for treatment/surgery abroad- Mater Dei Hospital spokesperson
The family claims that while inserting a central line – a long tube used to deliver medicine, fluids or blood – doctors damaged an artery, causing a blood clot to form.
The clot restricted blood flow, causing Zayn’s left leg to swell and turn blue. As well as causing swelling and discolouration, the clot caused significant muscle and tissue damage, despite doctors treating the clot with blood thinner Heparin.
The family told Australian broadcaster 7News in March that Mater Dei told the family it was unable to treat the condition because it did not have a paediatric vascular surgeon on staff.
Baby Zayn's left leg“The [UK] surgeon said it should have been looked at within hours [but] it [had] been days”, Joanne Seguna had said in the interview.
When contacted in March, the health ministry told Times of Malta that the hospital had opened an internal investigation at the start of the year.
Asked if there were plans to recruit a child’s vascular surgeon following the incident, the ministry said the hospital “offers comprehensive health services locally”.
“When clinicians indicate that patients require very specialised care not available locally, the hospital has arrangements in place with foreign specialised hospitals to send patients for treatment/surgery abroad,” the spokesperson said.
After returning to Australia, Zayn required further treatment at Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital after contracting bronchiolitis for a second time, according to an update posted to a crowdfunding page set up to help cover the family’s medical and travel expenses.