First published 5.47 pm
THE FATHER OF three-year-old girl who suffered cerebral palsy at birth has described an apology from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda as “utterly meaningless and entirely self-serving”.
It comes as the High Court approved a €1.9 million settlement for the care of Milagros Martin, born in December 2011.
The HSE admitted liability in the case last year. During today’s court hearing, the hospital read an apology for the “deficits in care” during the child’s birth:
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda apologies sincerely and unambiguously to the Martin Family for the deficits in care in relation to the birth of Milagros. All staff regret the outcome of this tragic case. Learnings from it have been adopted by the Hospital and the RCSI Group of Hospitals of which OLOLH Drogheda is a part. Ongoing audit of the learnings continues at the Hospital and in the Group.
But speaking to reporters outside the Four Courts today, the child’s father says the family wants an apology from the medical staff.
“An apology at this point in time is utterly meaningless and entirely self-serving,” said Ruairí Martin.
“The apology is purely from administrators and management. Our daughter’s injuries are as a result of the failings of the medical staff. None of the medical staff have ever provided any apology to either myself, my wife or my daughter.”
The family’s solicitor David O’Malley also called on the Minster of Health to introduce a “statutory duty of candour” to ensure greater openness in such cases.
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