Baby dies during hospital transfer

A NEWBORN baby died yesterday after she was born in an ambulance during an emergency transfer to a Dublin maternity hospital.

Doctors had sought a Garda escort to speed up the 90-minute trip to the capital but an escort wasn’t available from Mullingar.

The pregnant mother presented at Mullingar Hospital on Tuesday morning where she was examined by a consultant paediatrician and a consultant gynaecologist.

The decision was then made that she should be transferred to Dublin. The Health Service Executive (HSE) yesterday refused to reveal why, citing patient confidentiality.

A paediatric registrar and a midwife travelled with the woman and on the outskirts of the city, at Lucan in Co Dublin, they were forced to pull over and deliver the baby, who had problems breathing.

A Garda escort joined them at this point.

Repeated attempts to resuscitate the baby were unsuccessful.

The ambulance then proceeded to Holles Street, accompanied by the Garda escort.

It is understood that the mother had been a patient at Holles Street previously.

The HSE refused to give further details on why she presented at Mullingar.

“Protocol was followed at all stages during this transfer. The appropriate staff all travelled with the mother to Dublin,” a HSE spokes-woman said.

The Garda press office last night said that the gardaí “endeavour to provide escorts in medical emergency cases” and that “all requests are dealt with on a case-by-case basis.”

They wouldn’t explain why they couldn’t provide personnel from Mullingar to Lucan.

The Irish Nurses Organisation were unavailable for comment last night.

There was uproar seven years ago and an inquiry launched when another newborn died after her mother was denied treatment at Monaghan General Hospital.

Despite pleading with medical staff, Denise Livingstone was put in an ambulance to be driven 40km to another hospital.

On the way, her daughter Bronagh Livingstone was born but died shortly afterwards.