A COMMONWEALTH Healthcare Corp. nurse did not provide treatment to a 6-year-old boy who had a stomach ache because the child’s father refused to give consent to a PCR antigen test, a former firefighter told Variety.
CHCC said it will issue a statement.
According to the former firefighter, Cain Castro, who is also the father of the boy, he brought his son to the hospital at past 12 a.m. on Dec. 7.
“His stomach ache worsened on Monday evening,” Castro said.
“I tried to do home remedies to avoid CHCC, but my son rated the pain a 10 on a pain scale, 10 being the worst.”
At the hospital, Castro said “we were told to wait in the waiting area. We waited for about 20 minutes before a nurse finally came out.”
Castro told Variety that the nurse who attended them wore “a surgical mask, but no gloves, no eyewear, no gown, no face shield, no shoe covers, or no APRs [air purifier respirator].”
When he told the nurse about his son’s stomach ache, Castro said, “he kept interrupting me, telling me to wear my mask properly.”
As they were walking to the triage room, Castro said he continued explaining the condition of his son to the attending nurse, “but he was so worried about the mask.”
Castro said he then told the nurse, “Are you wearing a mask? So then, you should be protected right? How about you worry about my son instead of worrying about me.”
Castro said the nurse performed an assessment with no gloves on.
“The nurse placed his bare hands on my son’s stomach to locate the pain. Then, we were told to wait outside,” Castro said, adding that they waited for about another 20 minutes while his son was still in pain.
When the nurse came out again, Castro said, “he was in a yellow gown, eyewear, face shield, surgical mask, and gloves.”
The nurse then stated that he would treat the child “only after he gets the PCR antigen test,” Castro said.
“I did not give the nurse consent,” he added. “I clearly stated, please help my son, he is in pain.”
Castro said the nurse’s response was, “No, protocol.”
Castro said he pleaded with the nurse, “Please just give my son the medication we need for the pain and we will leave.”
According to Castro, the nurse shook his head and said, “No. Protocol.”
Castro said he stood up and as he walked away, he told the nurse, “This is on you.”
Castro said he brought his son to the Kagman Community Health Center where the child was examined and treated. He was not required to undergo a PCR antigen test, his father said.
Castro is one of the nine former firefighters who were terminated for insubordination following their refusal to take the Covid-19 vaccine as required by the CNMI Governor’s Directive 2021-002.
They filed a lawsuit and asked the Superior Court to issue an order declaring their terminations invalid and unlawful, and to set their terminations aside.
In September, the court denied their request to be reinstated.
The former firefighters are pursuing their appeal with the Civil Service Commission.
