There are calls for an independent investigation after a nursing home resident died after a wound on his face became infested with maggots.
79-year-old Ultan Meehan was taken to hospital two weeks after his wife raised concerns about his condition at Kilbrew Nursing Home in Ashbourne Co. Meath.
The 79-year-old, who had dementia and terminal cancer, died of sepsis on June 15th.
The Irish Times reports that Mr Meehan had also tested positive for COVID-19 in mid-April and doctors believe the virus contributed to his death.
He had shared a room at the nursing home with his stepson Adrian Bartley who also died of COVID-19.
Support group Sage Advocacy has said it is deeply disappointing that the former Minister for Health Simon Harris did not launch an investigation in Mr Meehan’s care.
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, the group’s Executive Director Mervin Taylor said the case is “very distressing.”
“It raises some really big issues about appropriateness of place of care, about clinical governance and responsibility and also about the way in which our State agencies work across sectors.
“It is this pass the parcel attitude which really we need to get to the root of after all of the tragedy of COVID-19.”
He said it was deeply disappointing that the previous Health Minister Simon Harris did not launch an investigation into the case.
“We would ask the new minister Stephen Donnelly to look at this case again and there are two possible ways,” he said.
“One is to bring it to the nursing home expert panel to look at the specifics.
“The other, perhaps in parallel is to have an independent person look at all of the issues here.”
He noted that at the end of the day, “every right-thinking person in this Republic will be asking what if that was my husband, my father, my grandfather or my son and that really is the bottom line here.”
In a statement, the nursing home said it works to “provide the best of care to every resident” at all times and noted that each resident has a dedicated GP assigned to them.
It said it submitted a report on the case to HIQA at the end of June and was awaiting the watchdog’s report.
“Kilbrew Nursing Home, like many others, has been under acute pressure in the midst of the pandemic and its managers and staff have and continue to work extremely hard to deliver the best in care for all of its residents,” it said.
