Health Ministry and other relevant agencies have launched an investigation into the death of a six-year-old boy, after his family alleged he had gone eight months without access to a required feeding tube.
Ibrahim Azan Suhail, who had spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, passed away yesterday while undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).
In a post on Facebook, the child’s family said he relied entirely on a feeding tube for nutrition but had not received a replacement despite repeated requests since last August. The request had been made through the national health insurance scheme, Aasandha.
The child’s mother, Aminath Yashfa, said she had repeatedly contacted State Trading Organisation (STO) and visited its pharmacy in Hulhumale' in an effort to obtain the tube.
“Need to replace my son’s PEG tube immediately, but there is nothing available,” she wrote in a post on March, adding that she had received no clear response regarding the delay.
The health ministry said it is investigating the case in collaboration with relevant agencies. The Human Rights Commission has also launched a separate inquiry.
STO said it has begun an internal investigation into the alleged delay in supplying the tube, while the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) confirmed that the feeding tube was eventually provided, though it did not comment on the reported delay.
According to the family, the tube was received only on the day the child was admitted to hospital, when his condition had already deteriorated to the point that it could not be inserted.
Azan, who had been receiving treatment since birth, was admitted to IGMH on Sunday with breathing difficulties. His condition was too serious to insert the tube, his family said.
The family said STO had previously indicated that the delay was linked to pending approval from NSPA.
Azan passed away yesterday afternoon. His funeral was held after Isha prayers.
