[ad_1]
Cork’s main maternity hospital agreed to a € 22.5 million settlement in the case of a child who was left with severe brain damage after failing to diagnose meningitis after birth.
The University of Cork Maternity Hospital also apologized to Calum English and her parents, in Dublin High Court.
Calum’s mother, Linda Spillane, spoke out of court after the hearing and called for greater support from the government and the health service for families with children with special or additional needs.
Calum was born at Cork University Maternity Hospital on August 1, 2012. Soon he showed signs of very bad, with excessive drowsiness, crying complaining.
Her parents say the evaluations were carried out about 24 hours and 48 hours after her birth, but they maintained that the tests were inadequate and there was a delay in diagnosis and administration of antibiotics.
The doctors who treated him eventually diagnosed strep meningitis, but when proper treatment was started, Calum had suffered severe brain damage.
Today, the boy has multiple mobility and neurological difficulties and Calum will require intensive care for the rest of his life.
The University of Cork Maternity Hospital initially denied responsibility. However, the hospital this morning accepted a settlement and issued a full apology to Calum’s family.
The hospital has said that important lessons have been learned from the case and that ongoing training has been provided to its teams.
Calum’s family says that he has good interactions with his family and careers, is sociable, and can communicate some of his needs.
The child will now need intensive and highly specialized care for the rest of his life.
[ad_2]