MARIGOT--Emotional and angry scenes erupted outside Louis-Constant Fleming Hospital on Wednesday afternoon after family members of a young Haitian who had died in the hospital earlier in the day claimed they had not been informed of his death, which they contend was due to negligence.
The deceased is 21-year-old Jeune Williams, who was born in St. Martin. He had been suffering from a liver condition for the past two years and was receiving treatment from gastroentologist Dr. Bernard Vassel. Williams' father Yves-Marie Jeune reportedly discovered that his son had passed away when he visited the hospital.
An agitated crowd of relatives and neighbours trying to obtain information gathered outside the hospital entrance, many of them crying uncontrollably. There were unconfirmed reports of rocks being thrown at the emergency entrance and medical staff being hassled as they left the building.
Hospital staff, fearing an escalation of the situation, called the Gendarmes and Territorial Police who kept order and prevented any entry into the hospital.
A source close to the family said a biopsy had been done a year ago in Martinique and it had been decided that the patient needed a liver transplant in France, but the doctor looking after him reportedly could not arrange the necessary appointments.
Williams was covered 100 per cent under the French social security system, a friend of the family said.
Williams' father told reporters he had asked the doctor on numerous occasions to send his son to France for treatment, but the doctor had kept putting it off and hadn't followed through with the request. The father said he had contacted his other son in France to see whether he could help to have his brother admitted to a hospital over there.
Through his other son's help some contacts were made with doctors in France and the Jeune Williams' medical file was supposed to have been forwarded by the doctor in St. Martin, but according to the father, it was never sent to France.
The father said he had taken it on his own initiative to buy an air ticket to send his son to France, but his son had fallen ill on Saturday. He said no ambulance had been available so he had driven his son to the doctor, who then admitted him into hospital. According to the father, the doctor finally agreed to send his son to France, but it was too late, as his son had died by then.
Relatives at the scene said Williams had been a very intelligent young man and had been following a training course at the Lyc�e.
Dr. Vassel was not present at the hospital Wednesday afternoon. When contacted that night, he said, "I have nothing to say. If it is necessary for me to say something I will say it to the Justice system. If the Justice system wants to hear me I will say what I have to say."
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