Apenisa Waqairadovu 
The family of a six-month-old baby who died on Gau Island is alleging serious failures in the medical care he received at the Qarani Health Centre.
In a Facebook post, the child’s mother said her son fell ill with diarrhoea on Sunday and was taken to the health centre on Monday morning, but claims the facility was closed due to water disruption and no proper medical treatment was provided.
She further claims the baby’s condition worsened throughout the day, and when they returned to the health centre late that night, the response was slow and ineffective, with delays in treatment and difficulty administering a drip.
The family says the baby was pronounced dead between 3am and 4am, and that a post-mortem later listed dehydration as the cause of death.
In response, the Ministry of Health and Medical Services says it is aware of the social media post but will only begin investigations after receiving a formal complaint from the family.
We are trying to get a response from the family if they will be making a formal complaint.
Stream the best of Fiji on VITI+. Anytime. Anywhere.
