Hospital baby gas death: Queensland hospital also had gas line ‘incident’ after BOC work
Following an error that occurred at a southwestern Sydney hospital last week that left one baby dead and another seriously brain damaged, a hospital in Queensland has also revealed problems with gas lines installed by the same company.
BOC Limited incorrectly installed and certified the oxygen outlet in a theatre at Sydney’s Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital, where two newborn babies were administered with 'laughing' gas instead of oxygen.
One newborn baby died. The other suffered critical brain injuries.
The Wesley Hospital located in Brisbane has since confirmed to Yahoo7 in a statement that “an incident occurred in October 2005 during a building project that involved the installation of gas lines by a subcontractor (BOC).”
“The incident was addressed at the time by the building contractors with limited disruption to hospital activity and no patient involvement," a spokesperson for the Wesley Hospital said.
According to the ABC, in 2005 a contractor crossed oxygen gas lines for a new neo-natal room at the hospital with a carbon dioxide line for surgical equipment in a nearby operating theatre.
The problem was only discovered by hospital maintenance engineers when oxygen pressure sensors repeatedly went off, alerting staff to the issue, the ABC reported.
An internal investigation was reportedly performed at the time.
New South Wales Health Minister Jillian Skinner addressed the media last week in relation to the death and injury of the two babies at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital.
"I am profoundly sorry for the families of a newborn who died and another newborn who was severely affected after the wrong gas was dispensed through a neonatal resuscitation outlet at Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital," she said.
"The error was discovered last Thursday (July 21) after a paediatrician raised concerns about the unexpected death of the second baby, which has been referred to the Coroner."
"Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital has reviewed all records of babies delivered in this theatre since July 2015 and confirmed no other baby received gas from the affected outlet," Ms Skinner said.
The legal General Council for NSW Health has since written to the private company, BOC Limited to find out how the error occurred.
Ms Skinner said a report will be provided to her which she will make public.
The South Western Sydney Local Health District is also conducting a formal investigation into the staff at the hospital, to see if they could have detected the error.
News break – August 4
