An inquest has been opened into the death of an eight-month-old baby boy who was allegedly found unresponsive in his crib at a Bonteheuwel daycare on Friday.
According to Bonteheuwel ward councillor Angus McKenzie, daycare staff told him Mogammat Qiran Canterbury was fed at about 10am and left in his crib, but when staff checked on him, at about 1pm, he was blue. The staff rushed him to Vanguard day hospital, but he was declared dead on arrival.
Linda’s Daycare, which is about 500 metres from the hospital, is not registered with the provincial Department of Social Development.
The daycare’s owner, Linda Theunissen, said it was in the process of being registered.
She said she did not want to comment until the autopsy results were available.
“At this stage, I cannot make a comment because I don’t want to say the wrong things,” she said.
Bishop Lavis police station spokeswoman Sergeant Samantha Adonis said the police had opened an inquest docket and the circumstances surrounding the death of the baby were still under investigation. She said that the autopsy had been completed and police awaited the report.
No arrests have been made.
Mr Mckenzie said Qiran’s death was “a hugely unfortunate incident, which I will ensure is thoroughly investigated”.
Qiran’s grandmother, Thasneenah Canterbury, said her husband, Ashley, had sent her a message on Friday to call her son, Tashreeq, because one of their grandchildren was in hospital. Qiran’s sister, Farah, also attends the same daycare.
“When I got to the hospital and asked what happened, no one answered me. Doctors came and said that he was dead on arrival past 1pm,” she said.
She said the police report stated that Qiran had been put to sleep at 10am and that the daycare staff had then found him blue in his crib at 11am – some two hours before he was taken to the hospital. However, this could not be confirmed with the police. Sergeant Adonis said she could not discuss or disclose the contents of police reports.
“We have a lot of questions that need to be answered,” said Ms Canterbury. “My son called the daycare, but they don’t answer and then put the phone off. All his things are still there, and we want to fetch it. I asked them what happened and why they took so long to get him to hospital, but they couldn’t answer me. They didn’t even apologise or explain what happened. We are feeling so sad, hurt, angry, and frustrated. We need an explanation as to what happened. The hospital is down the road, why did they take so long?”
Qiran’s janazah was held at the Klip Road Muslim cemetery in Grassy Park on Saturday June 3.