Heartbroken Point Fortin couple Akil Glasglow and Nikeisha Henry want Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan to investigate the death of their three-day-old son Akilon. The baby died on Monday afternoon, hours after a nurse at the Point Fortin area hospital told his parents there was nothing wrong with him, even though his skin was a yellow hue.
Yesterday Glasgow, a tradesman from Techier Village, Point Fortin, fought back tears as he showed journalists a photograph he took of his son on Monday morning, not long before the child was found dead in his bed. “I just want answers, some kind of closure. There is nothing that would compensate for our loss but at least we want to know what happened,” he said. An autopsy is to be done today to determine the cause of the child’s death.
Glasgow said the baby was healthy when he was born at 12.03 pm on Saturday but on Monday morning, a neighbour told Henry, a first-time mother, the baby’s skin was yellow and she should take him to the hospital. He also said the baby was not drinking breast milk which was also a cause for concern for the couple. Glasglow, the father of two, said Henry took the baby to the Point Fortin Hospital for a check-up.
“On arrival we saw the head nurse and she said everything was okay. She said the yellow skin was because of the newborn and he will eventually grow into it. “She even gave us a baby formula because my girlfriend said he wasn't taking no breast and they dismissed us, saying everything will be good,” he said. Glasgow said when they got home they fed the baby at 12.15 pm.
“He drink and my girlfriend burp him and put him to sleep. About two hours later she said she trying to wake him up and he not getting up. The lips was kind of turning colour so we rush him to hospital,” he said. The child was pronounced dead on arrival. Glasgow believes his son would still be alive today had he received better attention at the hospital.
“I thought they could have done more. It was a newborn baby and new parents. I feel they should have kept him and observed him. I would like the minister to step in and find some form of answers,” he said. Henry said she was trying to come to terms with her child’s sudden death. She said she had been excited that they were blessed with a baby boy and never expected her joy would be so shortlived. “This was my first baby. I had a lot of expectations. I was excited that I had a boy. It is not fair I only had him for three days,” she said.