By Sue-Ann Wayow
THE Ministry of Health is actively learning whatever it can from a medical procedure that was allegedly improperly conducted on a 13-year-old boy.
This is according to Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh.
In Parliament on Friday, Deyalsingh was asked about the issue involving Stephan Thomas, now 14, who had a wrong eye surgery conducted and has since undergone corrective surgeries at the hospital.
Thomas’s mother, Latoiya Moses, 33, has taken legal action against the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) and has engaged the services of attorneys including Prakash Ramadhar and Ted Roopnarine.
Moses, on Wednesday, hosted a press conference along with her lawyers to speak on the issue.
Deyalsingh said, “The fact is these incidents give us time to pause, to review standard operating procedures and the Ministry of Health is actively engaged in learning whatever we can from this incident to make sure that this and similar incidents don’t happen in the future.”
The minister was answering questions asked by Member of Parliament for Couva South, Rudranath Indarsingh.
Indarsingh has initially asked if an investigation was launched by the SWRHA into the matter.
In response, Deyalsingh said the procedure was performed on January 11, 2021, and as soon as the issue was raised with the SWRHA, a full investigation was launched and four days later on January 15, 2021, a full clinical disclosure meeting was held with officials of the SWRHA, the parent and or guardian of the child and the child.
When further questioned for details, he said, “The matter is now engaging the attention of attorneys for the patient and as such, I am advised that I should not be speaking publicly to prejudice the case one way or another.”
