Last week we told you about the case of 5 month old Ricardo Quintero, who died in early March of acute respiratory failure before he arrived at the Independence Polyclinic for treatment. After investigating the incident, Ministry of Health officials found that the child's death could have been caused by a bad prescription he was given at a private clinic in Independence Village. According to reports, the Quintero family took him to Estrella Clinic in Independence, but he was treated by an unlicensed nurse. The dosages on the two bottles of medicine the nurse allegedly prescribed to the family was mixed up, and the Ministry of Health has concluded that the side effects could have contributed to Quintero's death. Today, the Director of Health Services, Dr. Marvin Manzanero gave us an update on the case, and told us about what the Ministry is doing to ensure something like this never happens again...
Dr. Marvin Manazero - Director of Health Services
"I just got word from, I just had a discussion with my management team. As we understand it the pharmacy remains closed and the clinical aspect is nonfunctional, there's nobody there."
Alex Courtenay, 7News
"And do you have any information if there will be any legal action taken by the family of the deceased child?"
Dr. Marvin Manazero - Director of Health Services
"I have no idea. I guess that turns into a civil lawsuit, I don't know that the family will seek any further action in that regard."
Alex Courtenay, 7News
"Now with a situation like this, have the Ministry done any other you know, checking or vetting of other clinic and pharmacies throughout the country to see if this I happening anywhere else."
Dr. Marvin Manazero - Director of Health Services
"It is ongoing actually. We do inspections of pharmacies across the country. I think we have an issue in terms of human resources because by the time we go around to a facility to check if they have made any recommendations of which we may have asked them for a new pharmacy may appear so that's where we're playing a cycle where it's difficult for us to keep track of everything that's popping up. But we do routine spot checks of clinics, pharmacies."
"We're doing also trying to follow up if all the doctors have a license to practice and I believe the nursing council is trying to follow up on all the nurses that may have a license to practice as well."
It is still unknown whether the Quintero family will take legal action against management of Estrella Clinic.
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