Infants’ deaths trumps government corruption in Dominican Republic

Santo Domingo.- Dominican Republic’s attention suddenly shifted from the various investigations into government corruption and is now focused on the results of the probe into the death of 11 infants at Robert Reid Cabral children’s hospital last weekend, carried out by a high-level commission appointed by president Danilo Medina, who through a spokesman Tuesday night said the event left him in "shock.”

Yesterday the commission formed by Appellate Court prosecutor Virgilito Peralta; Deputy prosecutor Joselito Ceron; National Forensics director Francisco Genao, and Criminal Investigations Dept. director César Augusto Sena, interviewed all members of the medical and support staff on duty on Friday 3, Saturday 4 and Sunday, Oct. 5 last week.

Also questioned was Guillermo Pérez, president of the company Linde Gas, which supplies oxygen to the hospital, whose technical failures during the weekend have been cited as one possible reason behind the tragedy.