Ants in baby's medicine? A Singapore mum shares her experience
When our babies fall ill, we worry ourselves sick too. We seek relief from our own anxiety and our baby’s illness by consulting medical professionals with the hope that our little one will get better soon. During a child’s illness, the last thing we want to stress about is contaminated baby medicine.
However, one Singapore mum — Mrs Lee — was recently very distressed when she discovered what looked like ants floating in her baby’s medication. She was further upset at the events that took place at the clinic.
The medication was premixed at the clinic.
What would you do if you thought you received contaminated baby medicine from the clinic?
Contaminated Baby Medicine: Mrs Lee’s experience
Mrs Lee’s story:
Please know what kind of doctor you are consulting.
I brought my gal to the clinic [theAsianparent has omitted the name of this clinic] on Wednesday evening of 6th June as she had a cough. We consulted Dr L on this visit. My gal was given some medication for her cough and antibiotic as her throat was inflammed.
I don’t usually look into the medication when I feed her (as in, look in detail inside the bottle of the medication). But when I fed my gal her antibiotic on Thursday evening, when I put the syringe in to get the medicine, I saw some black dots in the medication (the antibiotic is white in color).
I pour some of the medication out and I saw it was ants. It was not only one but quite a few floating inside the medication.
I called the clinic today morning (8th June) and the nurse ask if it was ants from my home. I told her that I don’t spot a single ant on my kitchen top and the cap is tightly closed so how can it be from my home?
So the nurse asked to bring it back to the clinic. Fifteen minutes later, the nurse called again to say that the doctor mentioned that because my gal has started with the medication, that he wanted to check her again.
I reached the clinic in the evening at about 8pm and consulted Dr H as Dr L was not in that day. She suggested that we change the antibiotic and maintain the rest of the medication. They refunded me $20 for the antibiotic.
Upon getting my medication I was asked to pay a total of $90 plus for consultation and medicine. I told the nurse that this is not right as this is no fault of mine that there is an issue with the medicine, and I did not request to consult the doc.
I told the nurse that I will pay for the medication and not consultation fee. Nurse spoke to Dr H about the consultation fee but Dr H insisted that I have to pay. I went in to the room and spoke to Dr H. This was her reply :
“You consulted Dr L that day and it was not me. So today you see me so you have to pay.”
I told her I did not request to see a doc. It was your clinic who asked me to come again due to the medication. So this is your clinic’s problem not mine. And I didn’t even make a fuss about what my gal consumed since Wednesday evening.
She still insist I pay. I told her I do not want any of her medication today nor will I pay her a single cent. I insisted to take the stained antibiotic back and gave them back the $20.
I was so upset and I teared in front of the nurse as I was getting really mad and emotional. I feel so bad that I have brought my kid to see such a horrible doctor who do not care about their patient. All she cared about is her CONSULTATION FEE $$
I will lodge a formal complain to the Ministry of Health, Singapore and Agri-Food & Veterinary Authority of Singapore (AVA).
************
Mrs Lee has since mentioned to theAsianparent that she has referred the matter to the Singapore Medical Council, and is awaiting their response. She also is quite certain that her home has no ants.
What would you do if you were in her situation? Do you have any advice for Mrs Lee? Do you think it’s right for the clinic/doctor to have charged for the second consultation fee, given that Mrs Lee did not ask for it? We would love to hear your thoughts on the matter.