A young boy tragically died after getting discharged from the hospital when the staff failed to take note of his critical condition.

21-month-old Baylen Pendergast from NSW, Australia, was rushed to the hospital by his mom, Zoe Merlin, after experiencing vomiting following a fall from his bed.

Once at Tamworth Hospital, the bruised boy was checked and a CT scan was performed. The staff, however, failed to notice the child’s severe head injuries.

Instead of ordering an MRI to follow up on their findings, the staff discharged the boy and failed to report his head injuries.

Eight days after he was sent home from the hospital prematurely, the toddler collapsed and succumbed to a brain bleed.

“The cause of Baylen’s death was complications of blunt head injury resulting from at least two separate acts of trauma. It is most likely that these acts of trauma occurred on 17 and 28 November 2013,” Deputy Coroner Derek Lee now revealed as he shared the findings of the investigation into the boy’s suspicious death.

“The injuries were the result of the application of significant force by another person or persons.”

The investigation also revealed that the boy’s CT scan was sent to an overseas expert for review. While the doctor didn’t notice any fractures, they reportedly advised the hospital to perform an MRI.

While a consultation between a John Hunter Hospital neurosurgical registrar and Tamworth Hospital concluded that a more serious injury might have occurred in the boy’s fall, no further tests were carried out and Baylen was discharged.

Several days later, the toddler was rushed to the hospital after he was found unconscious in his bed. Two days later, he died at the hospital.

“I offer my sincere condolences to Baylen’s family and apologize that we did not provide him with the care he deserved,” Tamworth Hospital General Manager Yvonne Patricks said.

“We accept the Coroner’s recommendations and continue to work on ways we can further improve our standards of care. There has already been a number of improvements made in our emergency department (ED) since this incident in 2013.

“All staff are required to complete mandatory education, including child protection training, with priority access offered to pediatricians and ED medical officers.”

What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!