‘Sudden’ death of child at Ajax hospital prompts investigation by coroner’s office

Ontario’s coroner’s office says it is investigating what it calls the “sudden and unexpected” death of a toddler at a Durham Region hospital.

Few details are known about what happened in the emergency department at Lakeridge Health Ajax Pickering Hospital on Tuesday morning. A post circulating on social media claims there were no beds or rooms available, and the two-year-old patient died on the floor of the hospital.

The Office of the Chief Coroner confirms an investigation is underway but says it cannot provide any further details. The hospital also can’t comment due to patient privacy.

The coroner’s office says it investigates any death that is sudden and unexpected, but not necessarily deaths where there was a known disease.

“If a child had been admitted to a hospital for a health reason and subsequently died, a coroner would not necessarily be called to investigate as medical records would chronicle the cause and manner of death,” reads a statement from the coroner’s office.

Doris Grinspun, CEO of the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario, calls the death tragic but says she believes hospital staff did what they could to save the toddler.

“My understanding is that the nurses did everything they could to save the life of this child,” she says. “That doesn’t make it any less tragic.”

Health Minister Sylvia Jones says she was saddened to hear about the passing of the young patient when asked about the incident on Thursday morning.

“I cannot imagine how challenging this must be for the caregivers, the family of that patient,” she said.

Jones added she would not be sharing details about the event due to the ongoing coroner’s investigation.

Premiers to address struggling children’s hospitals in news conference

Canada’s premiers plan to hold a news conference in Winnipeg on Friday as children’s hospitals struggle to deal with a wave of pediatric illnesses.

Hospitals across the country have been cancelling some surgeries and appointments as they redirect staff amid an increase in pediatric patients.

Admissions are surging under a triple threat of respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and COVID-19 at a time when the healthcare system is grappling with record numbers of job vacancies.

“I will reinforce, we have seen unprecedented cooperation between community hospitals, between pediatric hospitals, making sure our most vulnerable — when they need help — our getting that assistance,” said Jones on Thursday.

New data released this week by Health Quality Ontario (HQO) shows average wait times for patients being admitted to the province’s hospital reached a record high in October.

In Ottawa, two teams of Canadian Red Cross personnel are working rotating overnight shifts at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in support of its clinical-care team. Some pediatric patients have been redirected to adult hospitals.

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With files from Shauna Hunt and The Canadian Press