The review into 10-year-old Fathimath Mishka’s sudden death from COVID-19 has identified several failures in responding to the emergency situation.
The report prepared by the Ministry of Health upon review of the case revealed the Health Protection Agency (HPA) had failed to facilitate a doctor’s consultation for Mishka, despite her family requesting it on May 28 when she first tested positive for COVID-19. The report also revealed the information shared by Mishka’s family was not entered into the system, while no follow-ups were made to monitor her condition as per the standard procedures for children under the age of 15 who test positive for COVID-19.
Furthermore, the report revealed Mishka’s family contacted the call centre when her condition started to deteriorate, upon which a doctor’s advice was given to the family. The report revealed the doctor who attended to the call noted down Mishka’s condition and instructed to activate the ambulance. However, the report revealed the ambulance was not dispatched.
The report further revealed Mishka’s family called the hotline again as her condition continued to worsen, and was told that the ambulance had been dispatched. However, the report revealed the ambulance had still not been dispatched at this point.
The report revealed the ambulance was not dispatched until a family member went to the Health Emergency Operation Centre (HEOC) in Dharubaaruge. The report noted 2 hours and 26 minutes had passed without activating the ambulance.
The report by the health ministry stated the standard procedures in responding to an emergency situation had not been followed in this case. The report noted immediate changes have been brought to avoid such incidents in the future, with measures such as categorising emergency calls and strengthening the monitoring of emergency cases.
Furthermore, the report revealed 24-hour outpatient services have been arranged for COVID-19 patients in the Greater Male’ Region. The report also noted efforts are underway to establish a separate hotline to attend to COVID-19 emergencies, facilitating the fast dispatching of ambulances as required.