THE Valencian Health Ministry is investigating the tragic case of a 12-year-old girl who died of peritonitis at the Valencia Clinical Hospital on Monday, after doctors sent her home three times.

The parents of Emma Martinez Gascon from Jerica in Castellon province are planning to file a complaint against the Health Ministry for medical negligence.

Jerica council will hold a minute’s silence in memory of Emma at 11.00 am on Saturday.

Emma had suffered from severe abdominal pains for a week, accompanied by vomiting and fever.

Her parents Ramon and Beatrix took her twice to the emergency centre in Viver, some three kilometres from Jerica, and then on a 42 kilometre trip to Sagunto Hospital.

In each visit, the doctors did not detect any serious issue and suggested a stomach virus or perhaps that she was going through her first period.

No blood tests or ultrasound scans were carried out which would have detected what was going on.

Emma’s mother Beatrix said she told medics that her daughter may have been suffering from appendicitis which can lead to peritonitis and subsequent multiple organ failure which is what she died of.

Valencian Health Ministry sources speaking to the El Pais newspaper said they ‘deeply regretted what happened’ and that ‘everything that happened will be analysed’.

They also made themselves available to answer any questions from Emma’s family.

Her father Ramon told El Pais: “Emma played football and was loving, full of vitality, and everyone knew her.”

“How can it be that after three times of going to the doctor, they were not able to do an ultrasound or blood test?”

He added that Emma lost consciousness on Sunday and he rushed her to the Viver emergency centre.

She suffered a cardiac arrest and after being stabilised, an ambulance took her to the Valencia Clinical Hospital where she passed away in the early hours of Monday morning.

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