Kaleel’s Cause of Death Confirmed; MOHW Refers Case to Medical Council to Assess Negligence

It has been one week since the family of baby Kaleel Nah laid him to rest in San Pedro. His sudden decline and death on September 3 while his family was desperately transporting him to Belize City for further medical attention has raised concerns about possible negligence at the San Pedro Polyclinic and within the wider healthcare system in Belize.

According to the Ministry of Health and Wellness’s statement a day after Little Kaleel’s death, he was admitted with an acute respiratory infection and dehydration. When his condition failed to improve, his parents were advised to seek specialist care.

Sadly, he never made it to the mainland in time for specialists to take a look at his deteriorating condition.

News 5 has confirmed with Dr Jorge Polanco, Director of Hospital Services and Allied Health, that an autopsy found Kaleel died from acute respiratory failure caused by influenza A (H1N1).

“For sure there was a respiratory infection that he could not really fight. That same infection contributed to his vomiting, where he suffered a degree of dehydration, and that dehydration itself explains in part why it was difficult for a vein to be found when he was at the polyclinic,” Dr Polanco told News 5.

He added that the ministry’s peer review committee has examined medical reports submitted by the doctors and nurses who came in contact with Little Kaleel along with the autopsy reports, and the case is now before the Medical Council of Belize to determine if negligence occurred.

“This is still pending, because the documents were only sent to the Medical Council today,” Dr Polanco said. “We are trying to see if there was a flaw, and if that is the case, then what measures we will take to address it.”

Possible repercussions include suspension, termination, or loss of medical licences for professionals involved.

He confirmed that senior MOHW officials visited Kaleel’s family in San Pedro this morning. “I don’t have the details as to what they spoke about, but they were visited today,” Dr. Polando stated.

Meanwhile, Kaleel’s mother, Virgen Garcia, told News 5 this afternoon that the family has not yet received the official post-mortem report. “No, we haven’t received the post-mortem examination report,” she said.