Lack of transparency over deaths of 8 babies in maternity unit

THE DEATHS of eight babies in the neonatology unit of a Social Security hospital with previous problem records was kept undercover.

National Negotiating Medical Commission (Comenenal), pesidenr Domingo Moreno, on Saturday, June 22, called on health authorities to clarify the cause of the deaths at the Social Security Fund (CSS).Hospital Arnulfo Arias Madrid. 

Moreno criticized the fact that the authorities have reacted late and left the media to spread the news knowing that this information frightens the population.
The hospital was involved in another major problem when KPC bacteria killed dozens of patients and led to transfers to a new hospital in December 24. Early deaths were also kept undercover.
Panama’s biggest medical death toll was when over 300 people died from taking CSS cough mixture containing diethyline glycol, which is used in anti-freeze. No one has been convicted, and dozens of survivors suffer from permanent life threatening illness .
Moreno blamed the health sector unions and the administrative part of the CSS for hiding the deaths of the infants.
He said on RPC Radio that he suspected that the use of a substance given to children could be the cause of death, while he said that this could relate to the form of purchase assurance and control of certain lots of products that are performed in the health institution.
Overcrowding is recorded in the hospital, which promotes the proliferation of bacterial infections, could be another cause of the deaths of children, said Moreno who urged the authorities to implement transparency in the process of investigating the deaths and give a clear answer to the families of newborns.
Minister of Health, Javier Diaz, has ruled that the death of the infants was due to nosocomial bacteria and "suspected other causes", which he did not specify.