Fraser Health reviewing death of young girl at Abbotsford hospital

A patient and safety review has been launched at Abbotsford Regional Hospital following the death of a three-year-old girl.

When Nimrat developed a fever in the early morning hours of Feb. 6, her parents, Balraj and Amarinder Gill, took her to the emergency room .

"They checked her and said to give her Tylenol every four hours," Balraj said.

"We gave her Tylenol but at night time, the next night, she couldn't sleep again. She was vomiting, so I took her back to the hospital the next morning."

Balraj says she waited with Nimrat for close to an hour before they saw a doctor who was just getting off shift.

"When the doctor came, I told them we were here yesterday, too, for this same problem," Balraj said.

"He said my shift is almost over, so the next doctor will check her.

Then the next doctor came and he checked her and took X-rays and blood work, but it took so long that she was gone before she got treatment."

Nimrat died later that morning.

The family believes she was suffering from pneumonia, but the official cause of death has yet to be determined.

"She was such a sweet girl," Balraj said.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say."

Fraser Health response

The Fraser Health Authority says it can't comment on the specifics of this case, but any time there is an unexpected death, a patient safety review is conducted.

"Our hearts do go out to this family during this incredibly sad time," said Fraser Health Authority spokesperson Tasleem Juma.

"This is certainly not a situation that we're taking lightly."

Juma says the review will look at the care that was provided and the cause of death.

"The intent behind this particular type of review is to determine if there is anything we can or should do differently in terms of patient care," she said.

Juma says there is no timeline for when the review will be completed.

Never again

​Balraj Gill believes her daughter should have received better treatment and she wants to make sure no family goes through a similar tragedy.

"The system should be more careful about children," she said. "They should check them properly."

She says this ordeal has been incredibly difficult for her family, especially Nimrat's nine-year-old sister.

"Her birthday was Feb. 9," Balraj said. "She is missing her. She says she can't sleep without her and asks how can she live without her. Why is she gone so soon?"

Nimrat's funeral will be held on Sunday.