Authorities probe negligence over young girl’s death, ambulance came 2hrs late

The family of the ten-year-old child who died last night due to COVID-19 has alleged that the authorities were slow in response to the requests for medical assistance as well as the request for an ambulance as the child's condition deteriorated. 

Sun understands that the child is a special needs child and was in quarantine along with her family who tested positive for COVID-19. 

The family has spoken out regarding the incident and said that the child was doing well until yesterday. According to the family, last night, the child started to suffer from breathing difficulties and bleeding from the nose. 

The family urgently requested an ambulance evacuation to the hospital around 21:00 and repeatedly called the Health protection Agency hotline of 1676 and even the IGMH hospital for an ambulance. 

"1676 kept repeating the same thing. That the medical team had been informed and will attend in a short while," 

"But the ambulance came around 23:40. The child had no pulse then," said a family member. 

The family also said that IGMH refused to send an ambulance because the entire family was positive for COVID-19. 

She is the first child to die from COVID-19 in the Maldives.

Investigation commenced, ambulance procedures revised!

Regarding the incident, the Ministry of Health stated that the delays in sending the ambulance will be reviewed and changes had now been brought about to the ambulance deployment procedures. 

The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives has also begun an inquiry into the incident and stated that the Commission condemned the incident where life was lost due to the slow response of medical assistance.