Health Minister Dr Lackram Bodoe says the probe into the death of six-year-old Jasher Francois is ongoing and involves attorneys.

He said he was awaiting the report from the investigating committee before he could speak further on the issue.

"That matter is in the hands of a committee, which was appointed by myself on the request and direction of the Prime Minister. I believe that the process is still ongoing and I believe that attorneys may be involved in the matter now. So, I prefer not to say anything further on that until I get an updated report from the committee," Bodoe told members of the media after a tour of the Couva Hospital and Multi-Training Facility yesterday.

"So, that is where it is at this point," he said.

On August 7, Jasher was admitted to the San Fernando Teaching Hospital for a dry cough.

He was administered oxygen and nebuliser treatments and, while on the ward, a nurse intravenously administered magnesium sulphate, which led to him complaining that his hand was burning.

The administering of the medication was stopped, but when restarted, the child again said it was burning. He began vomiting and lost consciousness.

A nurse raised an alarm and doctors began cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR), but he died.

Jasher's parents, Aaron and Yhnique Francois, scheduled a private autopsy after they rejected the findings of the first post-mortem done at the San Fernando General Hospital, which stated the cause of death as aspiration pneumonitis likely triggered by viral pneumonia.

The second autopsy by pathologist Prof Hubert Daisley found that Jasher experienced a sudden and severe heart problem while receiving intravenous medication. Daisley's report stated: "This appears to have caused his heart to fail in pumping enough blood (shock), which damaged his kidneys and led to swelling of the brain from lack of oxygen".

During the crisis, he vomited and inhaled the vomit into his lungs, which caused serious lung injury and contributed to his death.

The findings suggest the likely trigger was an adverse reaction during IV medication.

Jasher's parents called on Bodoe and Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar to order a fully independent investigation into their son's death, stating that internal reviews alone were not enough to uncover the full truth.

On August 27, the Health Ministry stated that the independent expert panel convened to review the circumstances surrounding Jasher's death had submitted its report.

The ministry added that while the panel had previously presented its findings, a statement from Jasher's parents was not received, and an extension of a week was granted to the team.

Jasher's parents told the Express that they submitted a statement to the panel last week.