A 10-year-old boy who suffers from muscular dystrophy and also has a behavioural problem was allegedly abused ­— both physically and mentally — last Monday by a nurse during his first night at the Youth Residence in Mount Carmel Hospital, his mother told the The Malta Independent.

The mother, Marvy Casha, said that her son’s consultant had recommended that Luke* be admitted to the Youth Residence for some professional observation.  “For me, it was difficult to accept that he was not going to sleep with me because I had never left him since he was born; but I did it because I hoped that he would get better.”

Luke is Ms Casha’s younger son; his older brother also suffers from muscular dystrophy, which is a hereditary disease marked by progressive wasting and weakening of the muscles, and ADHD. As a result of having muscular dystrophy, began losing the ability to walk in January and has become wheelchair-bound. He also suffers from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which can make his behaviour challenging and difficult at times.

Ms Casha said that on Monday, 7 September she took Luke for a routine check-up with a consultant. She was concerned because the medication that had recently been prescribed to her son was having a negative effect on his behaviour. The consultant advised Luke’s mother to send him to the Youth Residence ward at Mount Carmel, to keep him under observation while halting treatment. Luke was taken to the hospital the very same day and was left under the care of the nurses for the night.

Ms Casha said that this was the first time her son had spent a night away from her, stating that because of his condition she had always kept a close and watchful eye on him.  She said she had called the hospital several times to make sure that all was ok.

The following afternoon at around 4pm, Ms Casha went to visit her son during visiting hours. Luke gave out a sigh of relief when he saw his mother, and immediately burst into tears and told her about the events that had transpired the previous night. The first words that came out of Luke’s mouth, according to his mother were, “Hawnhekk post li jsawtu.” (Here they beat people).

The boy recounted how on the Monday night, a specific male nurse was in charge of making sure that Luke ingested his heart medication. The male nurse, as well as a female one, entered Luke’s room, which was connected to the medication room. A bed was placed in this room, and not upstairs, because the other rooms are not wheelchair accessible.

Luke threw his pills and the glass of water provided to the ground, wetting the male nurse in the process. In response, the nurse threw Luke to the ground from his wheelchair and told him to pick up the pills, Ms Casha said. The nurse then proceeded to use derogatory language to goad Luke to get up from the ground by himself, knowing that he was unable to because of his disability.

Luke then began to offend the nurse, as this is the only way he knew how to defend himself, Ms Casha said. As a result of this, the nurse began to punch Luke on both sides of his rib cage. He then started prodding Luke’s sides, over the areas that Luke had just finished receiving the beating on. The nurse told Luke “tell me you love me and I will stop” prodding you. At first, Luke refused to say the words; however, he eventually did, so that the nurse would stop hurting him.

The nurse then went on to tell Luke, who was still on the ground, to dry the water with a set of bed sheets, Ms Casha continued. After Luke had finished drying up the water, the nurse in question grabbed him and put him in his wheelchair. He told Luke that he would not assist him to get onto the bed, and that he would have to manage on his own.

His mother stated that she knows first-hand how much difficulty Luke faces when trying to get out of his chair and onto his bed, so much so that she always assists him because she cannot bear to see him struggle.

The female nurse in the room, who up to this point was not involved in the incident, told Luke: “Serves you right, you deserve what you are getting.” Luke eventually managed to get onto his bed. The male nurse, however, picked the boy up and put him back in his wheelchair twice more, meaning that Luke had to struggle into bed a total of three times, the mother said.

Luke’s mother told this newsroom that there is supposed to be a camera installed in the medication room. Due to Luke’s room being adjacent to the medication room, the incident could have potentially been caught on film.

The following morning, the nurse involved in the incident made Luke wash himself in bed without offering any assistance. He then gave Luke the same bed sheets used to dry the floor on the previous night to dry himself with, Ms Casha said. After the morning wash, a nurse described as old noticed the bruises that resulted from the beating, and Luke identified the nurse who was responsible for them, but no superiors were alerted and nothing was done about the matter, she said.

The nurse who noticed Luke’s bruises helped him onto a wheelchair; however, when the nurse involved with the incident realized this, he promptly put Luke back in his bed so that he had to struggle onto his chair alone again, the mother said. He then told Luke that if he tells someone about what happened he will hurt him again.

The head nurse on duty on Tuesday morning was told about what had happened to Luke but she did not follow it up, dismissed his story and told him to stop inventing stories.

When Luke’s mother was told of the incident, she immediately called for a check-up, appalled that the nurse in charge on Tuesday morning did not do the same. She told this newsroom that although the boy can be difficult, his disability has left him much weaker than an ordinary 10-year-old boy. She went on to say that hospital workers are supposed to be trained in dealing with difficult patients, and that nobody, especially a child, should ever be treated in this manner.

When Luke’s mother called for a check-up, the doctor on duty came to examine his bruises, but made no note that they had appeared as a result of his being punched. He then asked Luke’s mother whether she would be following up the matter with the police, which indeed was her intention.

The nurses on duty called the Birkirkara police, Luke retold his story to them and a report was filed. According to Luke’s mother, she then took him to Mater Dei Hospital for x-rays, and it resulted that there were no fractures to Luke’s rib cage. The doctors who oversaw Luke’s care at Mater Dei made a note of bruising. However, they did not write a certificate stating that the bruises had appeared as a result of the boy being hit either. Luke’s mother then took her son to their family doctor, who examined the bruising and gave her a certificate that the bruises had indeed come about as a result of jabs to his sides.

A shattered Ms Casha told us that her beloved son, since this incident, does not trust anyone near him except her and his family. He is traumatised and scared all the time. According to her, what happened to her son is not just physical and mental abuse, but also abuse of power. She added that she had found full co-operation from the police when she filed her report.

  

This newsroom contacted the CEO of Mount Carmel Hospital, Dr Clifton Grima, who said that an internal investigation has been launched. He stated that “the alleged incident was reported to the police by the senior nurse and an extensive internal investigation was also initiated.” He went on to say that if the allegations are found to be true, the staff member in question will be disciplined as per public services regulations. However, when asked if this nurse and/or or other staff members have been temporarily suspended, Dr Grima did not reply.

MUMN Secretary General Colin Galea told us that although the nurse is a member of the union, the matter had not been reported to them, and that they were completely unaware of the events that had allegedly transpired.

 

*Name has been changed to protect the identity of the child

Photos Jonathan Borg