Baby’s Parents Seeking Legal Action against Corozal Hospital

News Five has confirmed that the parents of eleven-week old Dion Woodeye Junior have commenced legal action against the Ministry of Health. The parents have consulted a lawyer and are waiting for reports from the Corozal Community Hospital to proceed with their claim of negligence. Baby Dion died at the Corozal Community Hospital on December thirty-first, 2018. He was taken to the hospital after he began experiencing diarrhea and excessive vomiting the child died hours later of dehydration. After the news broke, the Ministry launched an investigation with an independent reviewer which as a result a nurse was taken before the nursing council. The council, we understand, has handed over the case to the Disciplinary Committee. In January, the baby’s father told News Five that he will seek justice in order to prevent a reoccurrence and the Ministry of Health C.E.O., Doctor Ramon Figueroa said health personnel don’t care.

Dion Woodeye Sr.

Dion Woodeye Sr., Father of Deceased

“I can’t believe he still dead but in a way that this would be an example to other families and people that if we do not put a  stop to this that they can’t attend to children or to anyone in emergency that means that it is not an emergency. We have to seek justice because if we don’t do that it will have over and over again.”

Ramon Figueroa

Dr. Ramon Figueroa, C.E.O., Ministry of Health

“We have organized training for pediatric emergency management in Corozal district and it will be supported by people who have trained at KHMH. We are going to do that training there. Subsequent to that, we had a meeting with Director of Health Services, Regional Managers, Medical Council, Nursing Council, and Medical Associations because, to be frank with you, it is not one individual. I refuse to blame one single individual. At the end of the day it boils down to “we don’t care anymore.” I am sorry to say this about our colleagues, but not only nurses, physicians, but front line personnel. Sometimes if we would care a little bit more about how we care about people, these things wouldn’t happen. It is not because we don’t have the knowledge. I don’t think we don’t have the knowledge. In this day and age when you have a child die of diarrhea and vomiting, to me, in my mind, it is unacceptable.”