Food poisoning in Dubai

Received this article from a colleague.

Father looks for answers after children's death
By Mahmood Saberi, Senior Reporter
Published: June 15, 2009, 23:51

Dubai: A grieving father who lost both his children to suspected food poisoning, has questioned the treatment provided by the hospitals and said he will leave it to Dubai authorities to give him justice.

"I lost both my babies to this stupid, stupid disease [food poisoning]," said Patrick D'Souza, unable to hold back his tears. "This shouldn't happen to anyone; this is the worst punishment."

He and his wife Anne-Sophie on Monday gave their statement to the police, who will deliver it to Dubai Prosecution to pursue the case, said D'Souza.

"We are hoping to get justice and that the authorities make sure this does not happen to other children," he said.

Anne-Sophie had ordered mixed fried rice from the Lotus Garden in Al Ghusais for their evening meal and everyone started getting stomach cramps and vomiting.

She rushed them all to NMC Hospital and they were released after initial treatment. She had to rush them all again later as things started to worsen.
D'Souza questioned how the hospital could have released the family after their initial treatment.

"Children with serious diseases like cancer survive. This was a simple case."
He said Dubai Hospital knew that a child (Nathan, five) in the family had already died. His wife and daughter were transferred to Dubai Hospital from NMC Hospital after initial treatment.

"They [Dubai Hospital] kept saying my daughter [Chelsea, seven] was 'stable' but that her blood pressure was low.

D'Souza was given a form to sign accepting the hospital's recommendation to put a tube into her to pump in extra drugs to keep her blood pressure stable.

"She [Chelsea] kept opening her eyes and smiling. Everything seemed to be OK. My wife was moved next to her bed. Chelsea then became unconscious and they tried to revive her. The same thing happened to my son," he said sobbing.

Dr B.R. Shetty, managing director and CEO of the NMC Group of Hospitals, earlier said: "Two children and an adult were brought to the hospital on Friday evening with suspected food poisoning. One of the children, a young boy, was pronounced dead on arrival. A young girl and a woman were then transferred to Dubai Hospital."

But that is not the sequence of events, according to D'Souza

He said his wife rushed the children to NMC Hospital which treated and released them.

Then, later, Nathan started complaining of stomach cramps and his wife was finding it difficult to move her legs and hands. She took them back to the hospital.

"They [the hospital] knew it is was a food poisoning case, why couldn't they have flushed the toxins from the stomach," asked D'Souza.

He was away in Abu Dhabi when the tragic events began.

Dubai Hospital was not immediately available for comment as Dubai Authorities are conducting investigations. The Lotus Garden restaurant has since been closed and will remain closed until investigations are complete.

Click here for article in the Gulf News.