The parents of a toddler who passed away while seeking treatment at an Australian hospital have accused the medical facility of failing the child “at every level.”
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While speaking to 9News, Elouisa Massa slammed the hospital after her 2-year-old son, Joe, died a “cruel death” on Sept 14, 2024. The toddler was admitted to Northern Beaches Hospital in Sydney after he vomited throughout the night.
Massa stated that Joe was suffering from major hypovolemia, which is a condition in which the body loses fluid that is crucial to maintaining organ function.
While Joe was being admitted, the triage nurse and an emergency trainee physician allegedly classified the toddler as a Category 4 patient, which required treatment within 30 minutes. However, after the toddler was admitted to the hospital, he didn’t receive a bed until more than two hours later.
“I don’t have any medical training, but I do know my son,” Massa explained. “And I did know that he was deteriorating. He was not getting any better. He was getting worse by the minute.”
Massa further pointed out while speaking to ABC Radio Sydney that her son was ignored. “As soon as we stepped foot into that hospital, Joe had no chance of survival.”
The Toddler Suffered a Heart Attack Four Hours After Being Admitted to the Hospital
Less than four hours after he was admitted to the hospital, the toddler suffered a heart attack. He was taken off life support two days later due to the brain damage he sustained.
The family also issued a statement to The Guardian, pointing out that Joe had his whole life ahead of him. “We trusted Northern Beaches Hospital ot provide the care he needed,” the statement reads. “Instead, he was failed at every level.”
New South Wales Minister for Health Ryan Park confirmed to PEOPLE that a Serious Adverse Event Review (SAER) report had “been undertaken.” He also stated the hospital had “accepted all recommendations.”
The report detailed multiple missteps in the case.
A spokesperson from Healthscope, which oversees Northern Beaches Hospital, also issued a statement to People about the situation. “[The hospital] accepts the findings [of the report], including that there was an under appreciation of the severity of Joe’s illness ,” the statement reads. “And a delay in recognizing deterioration.”
“The doctors and nurses in our emergency department are exceptionally dedicated, and devoted to providing high quality care. They are devastated at Joe’s death,” the spokesperson noted. “And committed to implementing all recommendations to prevent an incident like this from happening again.”
The spokesperson further explained that the hospital is continuing to “cooperate in full with any further review or investigations into this tragic incident.”