THE doctor who saw Stacy Simon's son before they were refused help by a passing ambulance said yesterday he believed the infant was already dead.

The doctor, who is employed at Gulf View Medical Centre in San Fernando, said since the baby showed no signs of life he advised Simon to seek medical attention at the Accident and Emergency Department of the San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH).

He said: "The best thing was to get her across as quickly to the hospital so that they could do the needful. The patient was brought in without any warning. I was seeing another patient. No appointment. Just rushed in."

The doctor said when he examined the infant there was no respiration. "There were no signs of any activity. The pupils were dilated. Yes, I told her take him to the emergency of the San Fernando Hospital," said the doctor, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Asked why he referred Simon to public hospital if he knew the baby had died, he said, "Because it becomes a DMO (District Medical Officer) case, where you need to do post-mortem, an autopsy. And that could not be handled in private settings.

"In that sort of situation we usually have to send them to the hospital to get an autopsy, (to find out) what is the cause of death. In a private setting you cannot do that. In private setting usually the District Medical Officer becomes involved. So in private setting you cannot organise that. Let's put it this way," he said.

Asked why he did not arrange for an ambulance to take the child to hospital, the doctor said, "There was a gentleman who brought the baby and I thought he was the one to be carrying the baby across (to the San Fernando General Hospital). And he did not object. I automatically thought there was transport. So as soon as I said that they came out of office. Immediately I told them they have to get the baby to the Casualty and they left office immediately."

However, Stacy Simon said she was never told her son was dead when she was told by the doctor to carry him to the public hospital.

Simon said ,"The doctor used the stethoscope and listened to the baby's chest and heart. He didn't try to do any (cardio pulmonary resuscitation), no medicine or anything. He just shook his head to the assistant. He then told us to take the child to Casualty."

Emergency Medical Technicians EMT) in an ambulance assigned to the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) refused to take the mother and child to the San Fernando Hospital.