A tragedy that hurts the soul (and that could have been avoided)
It seems like the script of a very real horror movie, but no, this happened in Hermosillo, Sonora. The Attorney General of the Republic (FGR), in a plot twist that no one asked for, has decided to get its hands on the case of the five-year-old girl who died on October 20. The cause: the sting of a scorpion inside his own preschool, the Ignacia E. de Amante. Because apparently, the “danger” in daycare is no longer just fights over Lego blocks.
Gustavo Salas, the state prosecutor, basically passed the hot potato to the federal level. His explanation, worthy of a bureaucratic procedure in “The Office”, was that since the little girl died in a IMSS Bienestar hospital, it is up to the FGR to define responsibilities. In other words, the Sonora Prosecutor’s Office opened the investigation folder, as if to say “yes, we are aware”, but it will be the FGR who will lead the way in this investigation that promises more suspense than an episode of “Who is the Mask?”.
The story of the facts: when minutes cost a life
According to the official report of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS), the scene was like this: the minor entered the Gynecopediatrics Hospital of Hermosillo at 12:23 p.m. She was accompanied by the kindergarten director, who reported the arachnid attack on the school premises. The medical staff, in hero mode, immediately channeled and intubated her. At 1:08 p.m., they applied two vials of the precious anti-scorpion serum. Sounds efficient, right? Well, the tragic turn came like a spoiler on Twitter: the girl suffered two cardiorespiratory arrests and died at 1:45 p.m., despite the efforts of the health team. A devastating ending in less than an hour and a half.
And here comes the fact that chills the blood: the IMSS recognized, with an honesty that hurts, that at the time of admission the hospital did not have the antidote. Of course, they assured that they got it “as soon as possible.” Their official excuse was that the supply of serums had been scheduled for October 17, but stocks ran out over the weekend due to other emergencies. In other words, the classic “we ran out of stock”, but in a life or death situation. It’s like going to a gas station and being told they’re out of gas, but with infinitely more serious consequences.
The official response and collective indignation
The IMSS issued a statement expressing, with “deep respect”, its “deepest condolences“. Beautiful words that are carried away by the wind in the face of the anger of a community. The tragedy has generated understandable outrage among parents and the school community, who are clamoring to review the safety protocols in schools and, something that seems common sense, to guarantee the availability of antidotes in a region where scorpion stings are a frequent risk. It’s like living on the beach and not having a lifeguard.
The FGR is now tasked with conducting investigations to determine if there were institutional omissions or, to call it by its name, medical negligence. A strong term that resonates in a system that failed at the most crucial moment.
This story is a bitter reminder that sometimes the smallest thing can cause the greatest tragedy. It is not to be believed.
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