In a Facebook rant, a mum recently lamented on the lack of hygiene at Senja’s Skool4Kidz childcare centre and announced publicly that she wants to boycott the centre.
She came home to find her child’s legs and feet covered with spots and rashes and claimed the childcare centre is responsible for being negligent in practising proper hygiene and showing proper care to each individual.
Hand Foot Mouth Disease (HFMD) is highly contagious
There were mix reactions from mothers. Some were wary and hesitant on enrolling their children in the centre, while others provided personal accounts on their experience with the childcare.
As seen on The Local Society, a mum commented: “Omg. This is the CC downstairs my house la! Lucky I didn’t enrol my kid in this CC. A lot of complaints.”
Another Facebook commenter, Michelle Wong said: “Hand Foot Mouth Disease is transmitted from childcare worker handling hygiene poorly and toys are not properly sanitised everyday. It can be also caused by kids share utensils unintentionally or pick up food from where other children has touched before.
“Thongs should be used in nursery to handle food and educate your child not to pick up any food that is not on your plate. Pull your child out from care temporary until the blisters are gone. HFMD should heal by itself naturally.”
The Ministry of Health (MOH) provides regular daily updates of childcare centres and kindergartens with a transmission period of more than 16 days (prolonged transmission).
This is helpful to assist parents to become more aware of whether the childcare centre/kindergarten their child is attending has prolonged HFMD transmission, which will then help them look out for any HFMD symptoms in their child.
We shouldn’t be quick to blame schools
There were others who shared their comments, giving the centre the benefit of doubt, stating the main reason could be parents unknowingly bringing their affected kids to school.
A commenter on a Mummy Facebook group wrote: “It all depends on the area – different principals handle schools differently. My boy in Skool4Kidz since last September. So far I’m quite happy with the school.”
Another mum said: “My kid attends this school and he has HFMD. But I didn’t blame the school completely because I saw how they handle the case. They’re trying their best.”
According to Skool4Kidz’s Operations Director Mr Timothy Chan, the school has taken steps to prevent transmission of viral infections by circulating notice from MOH to alert all parents attending their centres.
He said: “We have reinforced to our teaching staff to be more meticulous and vigilant than usual in checking for HFMD symptoms when they conduct the daily health screening. Instructions were given that once a child is discovered to have HFMD symptoms, they would not be admitted to school and advised to seek medical attention.”
“However, as the HFMD contagion spreads, it is tough to prevent the outbreak as children themselves interact with others outside of the school hours.”
Spreading awareness to parents
Upon the discovery of the first few cases of HFMD at the centres, Skool4Kidz took extended and additional measures to control the spread of HFMD at the centres concerned, which includes:
- Informing the parents of infected children and advising them to seek medical attention immediately
- Advising parents not to bring their infected children to school until they are certified medically fit by a medical doctor
- The Principal followed up with a report of HFMD to Early Childhood Development Agency (ECDA) and the Ministry of Heath of the incidences
- Putting up a HFMD monitoring chart at their centres with information of the number of cases at the centre for parents’ knowledge
- Additional schedules to disinfect the entire school premises, toys, mattresses
- Implementing additional temperature checks and health screening to detect early symptoms
- Isolating children who are suspected and/or affected before informing parents and advising them to seek medical attention when they pick the children up at the end of the day
- Ensuring affected child has fully recovered and is certified fit by doctors to return to school
- Intensify the fumigation of the centre upon discovery of the first case of HFMD at their centres and additional fumigation has been scheduled in the weeks ahead
“We would like to take this opportunity to assure the public that Skool4kidz has taken the necessary preventive measures in accordance with ECDA and MOH guidelines to help stop the spread of HFMD. We will continue to work with parents and the authorities to combat the HFMD contagion,” said Mr Chan.
What do you think of this reported case? Comment your thoughts below.
News Source: The Local Society