Health Minister Horace Dalley. - IAN ALLEN/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
THE THREE-MEMBER review committee probing the death of a two-year-old ward of the State has completed its investigations and will be submitting its findings to Minister of Health Horace Dalley by Friday.
Dr. Colin Abel, chairman of the review committee, told The Gleaner on Monday that his team has completed its preliminary report and that they were finalising details of the report.
Early last month, two-year-old Joel Wong died in hospital after ingesting medication that was not prescribed for him. According to reports, one of the children took the tablets from the tray of an attendant who was dispensing medication to sick children and gave them to seven others, telling them they were sweets.
A three-member committee was appointed by Minister Dalley to investigate the matter. They were: Dr. Abel; Flo O'Connor, former head of the Jamaica Council for Human Rights; and Gail Hudson, director of human resource management and corporate services at the health ministry.
The committee was given a deadline earlier this month but had to extend the deadline to complete its investigations as, according to Dr. Abel, a member of the team was ill.
INVESTIGATIONS WENT WELL
Meanwhile, Dr. Abel told The Gleaner that the investigations went well.
"We had full corporation," he said of persons whom he had to question.
He, however, declined to comment on the findings of the investigations.
"At this time I can't give any reaction on our findings," he said.
Dr. Abel revealed he has also received the results of the internal investigations made by the Child Development Agency (CDA) but refused to comment on its findings as well.
Subsequent to the incident, the CDA launched its own internal investigations into the matter. But since the incident, the agency had not put in place any temporary measures at the institution as, according to a spokesperson at the institution, its investigation was incomplete.
The infant's death drew the attention of former Public Defender, Howard Hamilton, who had indicated that he would also be investigating the matter.
Meanwhile, Betty-Ann Blaine, convenor of advocacy group Hear The Children's Cry, also called for an urgent independent inquiry into the deaths of two children in separate incidents at the home.
The other incident occured on Good Friday, when two-year-old Nathan Burton reportedly died at the home when he suffocated in his vomit after an epileptic attack.
Reacting to the news at the time, Blaine had said the circumstances under which the children died were unacceptable.
Children's advocate Mary Clarke also visited the residence to commence investigations into the circumstances under which the children died.
