Father claims doctors’ negligence killed his daughter

The work of doctors at Mater Dei Hospital was put under the microscope as Raymond Muscat claimed in court that the reason his daughter died of meningitis was down to doctors' negligence.

In a judicial protest signed by lawyer Dr Edward Gatt, the father explained how 32-year-old Ritianne Muscat died two days after going to Mater Dei Hospital complaining of severe earache, but the doctors who checked Ritianne sent her home.

On 14 April 2012, Muscat was found dead at her apartment at St Paul's Bay. Since the death certificate stated that she had passed away due to A1 Meningitis, her father alleged that the doctors who checked his daughter were guilty of gross negligence. If proper attention and medication had been employed Muscat would not have died, the protest read.

Raymond Muscat has demanded that a magisterial inquiry investigates the death of his daughter in order to look into the cause of death and establish how the doctors handled the case and what medication was applied.

The father of the deceased also stated that he had asked the health ministry about what procedures were being followed after the death of his daughter, but he was not given any replies. However the ministry contacted Muscat and gave him an appointment with Minster Godfrey Farrugia on 25 June.

In the protest, Muscat said that both the health ministry and the director of health should within two days tell the court what could have been done to change the fate of Ritianne Muscat.