The heartbroken parents of a five-year-old boy who died in hospital claim they heard hospital staff laughing as their son's life support machine was switched off. Haroon Rashid, 41, says he was forced to say goodbye to his son, Muhammad Ayaan Haroon, while "insensitive" medical staff in the same room were giggling in the background.
The devastated father says only a thin curtain stood between themselves and the laughing medics as they watched their beloved son take his last breath, the Mirror reports. Haroon has now submitted a formal complaint about the conduct of the staff after a relative had to go and ask them to be respectful during Ayaan's final moments..
Bosses at Sheffield Children's Hospital have promised to conduct a thorough investigation into the family's claims. Little Ayaan had been admitted to the hospital on March 5 with breathing difficulties and sadly passed away on March 13.
He had a history of respiratory illnesses and a rare genetic condition called Hace 1 which caused developmental delays. Haroon, a taxi driver and father of four from Sheffield, said: "We don't know how we will live without him now our son is gone. On the other hand, we worry about what happened to him. We don't want this to happen to any other child or any other family.
"When the machine was switched off at 2.30am we had a lot of family members there. There was laughter coming from staff members. We were so upset. There was no one else on the ward apart from staff and one other small child behind the curtain from us. Surely the staff knew Ayaan's machine was about to be turned off.
"They continued laughing after my relative asked them to stop. A child's life was coming to an end. It was highly insensitive. We are living with our son's loss but we are very, very angry about the staff behaved."
Haroon and his wife, Fakhra Dibi, 45, are now calling for an investigation into the treatment of their son with a 10-page complaint detailing their concerns about the medical care Ayaan received, as well as the disrespectful behaviour from staff whilst they said goodbye.
Haroon also described a similar incident where his wife was given the news that Ayaan's health had declined a few days before he died and was told his survival chances were slim, while in a ward full of laughing staff, children and parents. Haroon said: "My wife rang me crying after the doctor broke the news. They should have taken her to a private room, not told her like that in front of everyone. It's hugely insensitive."
Ayaan's initial cause of death has been listed as an adenovirus, which can cause flu-like symptoms and pneumonia. A coroner has not yet decided whether or not an inquest into his death will be held.
Haroon claims staff members gave a "dismissive" attitude to care concerns he had raised to them about his son. He said: "Every day in the treatment of my son something went wrong. They didn't listen to my years of experience in caring for my children. I’m not a doctor but I know my son’s history.
"From past experience I knew what treatment my son needed from the outset but no one listened to me. My son was shown no compassion, no dignity, no respect and no humanity. I want to highlight the hospital’s failings to you so no other child suffers like my son."
Haroon alleges that the staff delayed taking samples to identify his son's chest infection, which Haroon argues prevented Ayaan from having a "fighting chance" at recovering from the virus. The father also claims that on March 23, ten days after his son's death, the family were contacted by the hospital about a follow-up appointment for Ayaan, despite his records showing his death.
Despite all of their recent alleged failings, Haroon was keen to praise previous treatment the family had received from Sheffield Children’s Hospital when Ayaan was an outpatient which he said had been "faultless". Paying tribute to his son, he described him as a happy little boy who always had a smile on his face.
Dr Jeff Perring, medical director at Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I wish to express my deepest condolences to Ayaan’s family for their loss. The death of any child is tragic and I know that my colleagues who treated, and came to know, Ayaan during his short life will share in expressing these condolences.
“The loss of a child while they are a patient at Sheffield Children’s is something we take very seriously. Our colleagues pride themselves on providing the best clinical and pastoral care for all children and young people who need it.
“We have received Mr Rashid’s complaint, which is very detailed and complex. There will be a thorough internal investigation of the care and treatment Ayaan received at the hospital between 5 and 13 March which will cover the concerns raised in Mr Rashid’s complaint.”
Haroon and his family were encouraged to make a formal complaint to Ruth Brown, the Chief Executive of Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust, after support came from another family whose child passed away last year at the same hospital. Yusuf Mahmud Nazir was only five years old when he died of pneumonia at Sheffield Children's Hospital after he was sent home from another hospital days earlier due to a lack of beds.
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