Hospital apologises after death of boy, 8

A hospital has apologised to the parents of an eight-year-old boy who died 18 hours after he was discharged from its emergency department & with a prescription.

Richard de Souza, who had chicken pox, died when toxins overwhelmed his body as an infection took hold. His counsel told the High Court if Richard, of Hollands Avenue, Athy, Co Kildare, had been admitted to hospital and given antibiotics intravenously, it was a high probability that it would have dealt with the infection and saved his life.

The apology was read to the court as part of a settlement of the damages action of Richard’s parents, Flavia Helena de Souza and Ralmon Rodriquez de Souza, as a result of the death of their son in Feb 2011, for €160,000.