An internal inquiry report into the death of an elderly patient who choked on a piece of chicken served at Karin Grech Rehabilitation Hospital may have gone missing, a magistrate was told yesterday.
The former government chief medical officer, Natasha Azzopardi Muscat, who has since moved to a consultancy role within the ministry, said she had been in contact with her successor to exhibit the document in court but it could not be found.
The new CMO, Joseph Vella Baldacchino, informed her the file with the outcome of the inquiry was missing, she said.
Presiding Magistrate Anthony Vella was visibly perturbed by the situation and ordered the prosecution to use all means possible to locate the file.
He also ordered that a copy of his decree to be communicated to the Health Ministry’s Permanent Secretary.
The revelation was made during the compilation of evidence against chief nurse Maria Bondin, 57, from Paola, nursing aide Carol Bonnici, 55, from Siġġiewi, and nurse David Sant, 30, from Għarghur.
They stand charged with the involuntary homicide of John Darmanin, who was found dead in a hospital lavatory on March 7, 2012, after he went missing from his room.
An autopsy report revealed that Mr Darmanin died after choking on a piece of chicken, despite hospital staff having been prohibited from giving him solid food. He was given CPR for almost 30 minutes before he was pronounced dead.
All three accused deny the charges.
Dr Azzopardi Muscat testified that she remembered instructing the board of inquiry to keep her informed about the findings.
She said she had drafted new procedures on how to deal with unexpected deaths such as this one and that, as far as she knew, they had not been introduced by her successors.
In a previous sitting, a nurse testified that meals, which included chicken, were deemed safe for patients placed on a “soft food diet” but this and several other internal procedures related to the way food is distributed at the hospital had changed after Mr Darmanin’s death.
The case continues.
Police inspector Geoffrey Azzopardi is prosecuting. Lawyers Lucio Sciriha, Steve Tonna Lowell and Kris Scicluna are appearing for the defence. Lawyer Stefano Filletti appeared parte civile for the Darmanin family.