The sudden death of a teenager at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children is being investigated by the chief coroner's office, The Star has learned.

Seventeen-year-old Sanchia Bulgin died on Sept. 14 after being brought from a post-surgery room to Ward Five A/B, the unit that cares for general surgery and orthopedic patients.

This is the same ward that was the subject of an inquest into the sudden death of 10-year-old Lisa Shore in 1998. The coroner's jury in that case found that Lisa's death was a ``homicide.''

Sanchia, who had sickle cell anemia, had undergone non-life-threatening surgery for the removal of her gall bladder.

Deputy chief coroner Dr. Jim Cairns said his office began its investigation the day of the death and information is still being gathered.

The information will be presented to the pediatric death review committee which assists the coroner in investigating unexplained children's deaths across the province.

Toronto lawyer Frank Gomberg confirmed yesterday he has been retained by the girl's family to represent them. Gomberg said the family asked him not to release details of the death or the investigation, but confirmed the facts obtained by The Star.

Hospital spokesperson Cyndy De Giusti said she was unable to discuss the case because the family has asked the hospital not to release information.

Lisa Shore was found dead in her bed on Ward Five A/B on Oct. 22, 1998 less than 12 hours after her mother brought her to emergency for relief from pain caused by a non-life-threatening condition.

The five-member jury heard evidence that Lisa's nurses failed to monitor her for possibly deadly effects of the morphine she was given and about allegations from the Shore family of a hospital cover-up.

The jury, which by law cannot assess blame, sent shock waves through the hospital when it found that Lisa's death was a ``homicide'' - defined as the killing of a person by another.

During the inquest, a juror accused the hospital of a cover-up and raising ``a smokescreen'' around the circumstances of the death.

Dr. Morton Reingold, the investigating coroner, testified a lack of information provided to him by the hospital was enough to ``undermine and impair'' his investigation.

Cairns acknowledged serious communication problems in the Lisa Shore case between the hospital and his office and vowed they would not happen again.

Several hours after the jury delivered its verdict, Dr. Alan Goldbloom, vice-president of academic and clinical development for the hospital, apologized for Lisa's death and said the hospital would investigate the conduct of the nurses charged with her care.

``Clearly, the Hospital for Sick Children failed Lisa Shore and failed the Shore family, and we will live with this forever,'' Goldbloom told reporters at a news conference.

``It's a tragic day. No caregiver wants to be in the position of explaining a child's death. We all spend our careers working to prevent that. ``

Gomberg represented Lisa's family at the inquest.

After the verdict was delivered on Feb. 24, he called for a police probe of the hospital in connection with possible charges of criminal negligence causing death, obstruction of justice and perjury.