Health Ministry launches investigation into infant Azaan’s death following allegations of negligence
Six-year-old Ibrahim Azaan, who suffered from cerebral palsy, has passed away following an eight-month long unsuccessful struggle to obtain a specialized feeding tube through STO and NSPA. While the family alleges gross negligence by state institutions, STO and NSPA have traded blame over the administrative failure to procure the essential medical equipment. The Ministry of Health has since announced that it has launched an investigation into the incident in coordination with relevant authorities.
The Ministry of Health has announced that it is investigating the death of 6-year-old Azaan, which allegedly resulted from medical negligence. | RaajjeMV | Raajje MV
The Ministry of Health has launched an investigation into the death of six-year-old Ibrahim Azaan, following allegations that state institutions failed to provide a life-sustaining medical tube, leading to fatal negligence.
Due to complications from cerebral palsy, Azaan had been fed through a gastric tube since July last year. However, this essential medical tube is currently unavailable at the country's main government hospital and cannot be found in any local pharmacies.
In a Facebook post shared on the 16th of this month, Azaan’s mother, Aminath Yashfa, expressed her deep concern over an eight-month delay in obtaining a vital feeding tube required for her son. She stated that an order for two tubes was placed through the State Trading Organization (STO) in August last year. However, despite the passage of eight months, the equipment had not been delivered. Yashfa noted that she had repeatedly contacted STO and searched various pharmacies for an alternative solution. Her post highlighted her desperation, explaining that the existing tube required immediate replacement and that she had run out of options due to the continued unavailability of the medical supply.
She stated that STO Pharmacy contacted her on the 16th, informing her that the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) had not yet authorized the procurement of the medical tubing. Consequently, the order for the equipment has still not been placed. She questioned why STO had failed to provide a definitive response after all this time, asserting that there is no justifiable reason for NSPA to withhold the necessary approval.
However, while STO Pharmacy delayed providing the tube because NSPA had not authorized the purchase, Azaan passed away on Wednesday. IGMH only informed the family that the tube had become available after Azaan’s condition had already deteriorated and he was in his final moments.
It has been revealed that for the past eight months, the child's mother was never informed that the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) had withheld approval, nor that STO Pharmacy had failed to place the order.
The National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) has placed the blame on the State Trading Organization (STO) regarding this issue. NSPA maintains that all necessary instructions have been communicated to STO and asserts that the delays are originating from STO's side. However, STO contends that the delays are due to NSPA's failure to provide the required authorizations.
However, to date, neither STO nor NSPA has issued an official statement regarding the matter.
However, in a post on X on Thursday afternoon, the Ministry of Health stated that they are collaborating with relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of Ibrahim Azaan Suhail (M. Cheese), who passed away on March 25. No further details were disclosed.
