Mother begs to take hospitalised baby home

The mother of a two-year-old girl who has been hospitalised at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex for a rupture to her bowels since August 13, is challenging the decision of the Children’s Authority and the North Central Regional Authority to continue to keep her daughter warded while an investigation is ongoing.

Asha David’s daughter Arabella was allegedly beaten at the home of her father’s girlfriend on August 12. She was rushed to hospital after suffering excruciating pain to the stomach and doctors discovered Arabella’s bowels were ruptured. Police were called in an investigation was launched.

A 39-year-old nurse was arrested and charged with three offences. The case is pending in court. The child had to undergo surgery and was warded at the Intensive Care Unit.

According to David, she had to ask for time off from her work as a sales clerk to be with her daughter. When the mother asked doctors if she could take the child home, doctors said that the Children’s Authority requested that little Arabella remain at the hospital pending the outcome of an investigation.

The mother of two said she is very frustrated especially as Arabella is begging to go home. The woman subsequently secured the services of attorney Chelsea John who sought meetings with hospital officials and the Children’s Authority. John was given the assurance that the investigation by the Children’s Authority would have been completed last Friday, but to date, Arabella remains warded.

Yesterday, the attorney told Newsday: “I intend to file an application for judicial review of the decision by the Children’s Authority and the North Central Regional Health Authority as the decision to keep the child at hospital is unlawful. Neither the hospital nor the Children’s Authority has the legal right to keep the child there in the absence of a court order.”

In order for the Children’s Authority to give any direction, attorney John continued, they must take the child into their care and this has not been the case. “There is no order by the court to do so. She should have been released into the care of her mother last Friday but that never happened.” Officials from the Children’s Authority refused to comment when Newsday reached out to them yesterday.