Sick baby reportedly ignored by doctor at Peebles Hospital
According to Yvonne James, her grandchild had developed a high fever that had reached the stage of convulsion and this prompted her to call for an ambulance around 8:45 p.m. only to be told that the ambulance could not make it and she needed to get the child to hospital on her own.
She added she then had someone take herself and grandchild to Peebles Hospital and they arrived around 9:30 p.m. where the driver of the vehicle that brought them immediately informed the doctor that the child was very sick and needed urgent attention.
The child’s vitals were then reportedly taken by a nurse, who indicated that the patient’s temperature was 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Mrs. James noted that all the while, the doctor never checked on the child although he often appeared to not be occupied.
She added that at 11:30 p.m. the child had still not seen a doctor and so she decided to call a doctor she knows in Antigua, who informed her to strip the child before placing in cold water. She then left the hospital and did as she was told. This helped to stabilise the child, however, James is furious that the doctor made no effort to attend to the child.
“I am thinking that children and old people should get priority treatment. This doctor was just sitting there and not doing anything to help the child. The nurse did her part but I am very upset with this doctor. A lot of persons went away untreated because the service is so slow. I don’t know what difference a bigger hospital will make,” James said.
Efforts to contact officials from the BVI Health Services Authority (BVIHSA) for a comment were unsuccessful.
This is not the first time, however, that persons have complained to this news site about the reportedly poor service that is rendered at the hospital. Many claim that they have to wait extremely long hours, sometime four to five hours just to see a doctor, while others claim that there is no proper triage system in place.
Fever Facts
According to Kids Health.org, in healthy children, fevers usually don't indicate anything serious. Although it can be frightening when your child's temperature rises, fever itself causes no harm and can actually be a good thing — it's often the body's way of fighting infections. And not all fevers need to be treated. High fever, however, can make a child uncomfortable and worsen problems such as dehydration.
Fever occurs when the body's internal "thermostat" raises the body temperature above its normal level. This thermostat is found in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus knows what temperature your body should be (usually around 98.6° Fahrenheit or 37° Celsius) and will send messages to your body to keep it that way.
Although teething may cause a slight rise in body temperature, it's probably not the cause if a child's temperature is higher than 100° F (37.8° C).
When Fever Is a Sign of Something Serious
In the past, doctors advised treating a fever on the basis of temperature alone. But now they recommend considering both the temperature and a child's overall condition.
Children’s whose temperatures are lower than 102° F (38.9° C) often don't require medication unless they're uncomfortable. There's one important exception to this rule: If you have an infant 3 months or younger with a rectal temperature of 100.4° F (38° C) or higher, call your doctor or go to the emergency department immediately. Even a slight fever can be a sign of a potentially serious infection in very young infants.
If your child is between 3 months and 3 years old and has a fever of 102.2° F (39° C) or higher, call your doctor to see if he or she needs to see your child. For older children, take behaviour and activity level into account. Watching how your child behaves will give you a pretty good idea of whether a minor illness is the cause or if your child should be seen by a doctor.
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