‘My son would have been alive had teachers reacted faster’

THE distraught parents of a 15-year-old pupil who collapsed and died in a classroom in Paphos, have blamed teachers for his death, arguing that had they reacted promptly he would still be alive.
Early reports suggested Matheos Constantinou’s death was due to a hereditary heart problem but after post mortem examinations, it was discovered that he did not in fact have any heart problems. Damage to the heart discovered in the post mortem indicated that it was caused by the 15 electroshocks when the doctors at the emergency ward at the Paphos General Hospital were trying to restart his heart. The parents of the boy, who both work as nurses at the Paphos General Hospital, have already sent a letter to the school demanding the true events of what happened to their son as well as the reason as to why the reaction of the teachers was so slow.

Speaking to state television, Matheos’ mother blamed the teachers for the death of her son.
“My boy collapsed during a lesson and his death is a result of lack of oxygen going to the brain because he swallowed his tongue, as opposed to any heart problems. The fact is had they reacted promptly and not left him there helpless for 10 minutes, my boy would be alive today. They left him there to die.”

Staff have denied the allegations, saying that the boy received first aid within two to three minutes, and that an ambulance had also arrived quickly. However, their story was contradicted by Matheos’ fellow pupils, who say the boy was left unattended for more than 10 minutes.
Israeli experts from the Hadassah Hebrew University Medical School as well as an English neurosurgeon were flown in at the behest of the parents to examine the body with all doctors concluding that the boy had in fact died as a result of lack of oxygen to the brain. They added that had the boy received treatment quicker, he would have survived.

The Chairman of the House Health Committee, Costas Constantinou, will submit to parliament an action plan to prevent similar incidents occurring in the future. Some of the points in the plan include the need for schools to have oxygen equipment as well as for at least two teachers to be taught first aid procedures by qualified doctors.

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