Consultant charged with boy's manslaughter

A paediatric consultant was yesterday charged with the manslaughter of a seven-year-old boy at St Luke's Hospital in February last year.

The consultant, whose name cannot be published by court order, pleaded not guilty to causing the death of Andrea Massa through imprudence, carelessness or incompetence in his profession between February 20-28, 2001.

He was also charged with committing a crime he was duty bound to prevent.

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera yesterday started hearing the boy's father, Charles Massa, but his testimony was cut short after the doctor's lawyers said it was not necessary to make him relive the experience since he had already testified at the inquiry.

Before his testimony was suspended, Massa explained how his son was taken to hospital on a Tuesday, precisely February 20 last year, because he was in some pain and was held for observation.

"On Wednesday, Andrea seemed fine and they were thinking of sending him home the next day. But he felt a slight pain again on Thursday and was examined by the consultant who gave the order for the boy to be operated for an appendix that same day," he said.

"He was brought back from the operating theatre at 2.30 p.m. When he woke up, he was sick and was throwing up every 10 minutes.

"Later that evening, my wife noticed that Andrea had a big swelling on his back so she called for a doctor at 7 p.m. But when the doctor, whose name I don't know, turned up at 11 p.m. he did not examine the boy," he said.

Massa said the doctor told them that the defendant would examine Andrea the next morning. The consultant turned up the next day and examined the boy.

Massa said his wife told the consultant that Andrea was feverish and had been throwing up constantly and had diarrhoea.

The consultant asked his wife two questions, Massa said. At this point, the magistrate intervened and told the witness that his wife would testify about that since he was not present at the time.

The consultant's lawyers pointed out that the boy's parents had already given evidence at the inquiry and that it was not necessary to make them relive the experience of their son's death in court.

But since the file of the inquiry was not available yesterday, the magistrate ordered the suspension of Massa's testimony and the case was put off to October 23.

Police Inspector Carlo Ellul is prosecuting.

Dr Michael Sciriha and Dr Hugh Peralta are appearing for the surgeon.