By Landing Ceesay
Medical Doctor at Africmed International Hospital, Dr Edel Perez Castellanos, on Friday said Baby Muhammad (now deceased) was in a critical condition when he arrived at the hospital.
The witness Dr. Perez said he has been a medical doctor for 3 decades, and a medical consultant for 25 years; and that he has been working at Africmed for one year now.
He told the court that when baby Muhammad was rushed into the facility, he checked him in all the vital signs and found out that the oxygen calculation in him was 60, and the pulse was 22.
“On the 3rd of July 2022, around 6pm a nurse at Africmed called me. She said ‘we just received a child called Muhammed Mbye’. The nurse called me because the child arrived at the hospital in a critical condition. Immediately, I went to the emergency ward to see the patient, and when I arrived at the emergency ward, the nurse told me the child’s family told her that the child was locked in a car for 4hrs,” Dr. Perez told the court.
Dr. Perez said in a normal child who is around 2 years, the pulse should be between 100 to 120, but baby Muhammad had 22, which was ‘very, very low’.
The medical Doctor and consultant said the normal oxygen calculation should be above 90, but baby Muhammad had 60; and the temperature was boiling at 38.5 then he (Dr) gave the him (baby) 5 litres of oxygen.
Dr. Perez said he also gave the baby paracetamol 150mg injection (iv) start dose, filled out a referral form and referred him to Banjul in an ambulance.
Asked why he gave baby Muhammad the medication, Dr. Perez responded that he gave the child medication to increase his heart contraction.
“When a person suffers Asphyxia, his or her brain after 10 minutes starts to damage, in this case, the patient was locked in a car for 4 hours and didn’t have very good oxygen. That was the reason I gave him Aldinary to increase his heart contraction, also to increase blood circulation,” he told the court.
Dr. Perez told the court that baby Muhammad spent 20 to 30 minutes at his facility and got referred to Banjul because it was an emergency.
Also asked whether the child was wet when he was brought to the facility, Dr. Perez responded in the positive, but said he (child) did not vomit.
The defence counsel, Ida Drammeh, asked Dr. Perez whether he was informed about baby Muhammad having flu and cold, and he responded that nobody told him anything about baby Muhammad’s health condition.
The witness said there are certain pre-existing medical conditions, which a patient may have and could affect the flow of oxygen in the brain.
“It is correct that sometimes, you find it difficult to understand what your patients say,” Counsel Ida Drammeh asked.
“I worked at Africmed, anything I say, the nurse will translate it to the patient,” Dr. Perez responded.
The ex-wife of remanded Bob Keita, Sainabou Mbye (1st accused), Cherno Mbye (2nd accused), and Kibili Dambelly (3rd accused) are charged with manslaughter, contrary to Section 186 of Criminal Code Cap: 10.01 Vol. III, Laws of The Gambia 2009.
The particulars of the offence stated that Sainabou Mbye, Cherno Mbye, and Kibili Dambelly, on or about 3rd July 2022, at Kanifing and diverse places in The Gambia, by unlawful act, or omission, amounting to culpable negligence, left a two-year-old boy resident of Brusubi inside a car, which caused his death, thereby committed an offence.
Counsels M. B Sowe is representing the State; while I. Drammeh is representing the 1st accused; and C. Gaye and Miss Twum are representing the 2nd and 3rd accused persons in the trial.
The case would continue at the High Court in Banjul on (Monday) 17th October, 2022.