Allegations of KK Hospital negligence refuted, no medical care lapses

In a recent Facebook post that went viral, parents of a little girl who suffered from febrile seizures, attributed their daughter’s condition to KK hospital negligence. Netizens went up in arms upon reading the post and there was an outpour of angry emotions and verbal abuse of the doctor. 

The original post was shared over 20,000 times in just three days after it was posted online on 14, November. 

In the video, a man, presumably the girl’s father, was seen performing Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on a little girl who appeared to be slipping into a state of unconsciousness. 

Following the video was an angry, accusatory post by the girl’s mother, Tricia Ang, who alleged that KK hospital negligence had caused her child to be in the state she was in.  

KK hospital negligence as recounted by Ms Ang 

She recounted the sequence of events as such. It started with them arriving in the hospital at on the night of 13, November, and waited somewhere between three to four hours for their turn.

According to Ms Ang, Doctor Peter Wong, then told her that her daughter was not in a serious condition and as such had to continue waiting for a few hours as there were other urgent cases that required more immediate attention.

She stated that the doctor advised her to seek medical attention elsewhere if she was unwilling to wait. 

What followed remains unclear, but the video of her daughter suffering from a febrile seizure, appears to have been taken at around 11am the following day. 

Staff speak up against KK hospital negligence  

A staff from KK hospital spoke up in defence of the doctor. He provided an explanation of the child’s condition and what it was like to be a doctor in the KK hospital setting. 

In a Facebook post that is entirely his own view and not a representation of the organisation he works in, he said, 

This, something called a febrile seizure is something that happens to young children, is VERY scary looking but is essentially harmless.

Febrile seizures are not actually as scary as they appear to be.

He went on to describe the KK hospital work environment as such:

“I’m in the department now and it is one of the most pleasant, caring, astute, thorough, accommodating, and good-willed environments I have ever been in. The department works solely for the healthcare of children (is there any better reason to do anything really) and no other reason.”

KK hospital negligence official statement 

KK Hospital said on Sunday November 19, that there were no lapses in the medical care provided to the girl. 

“We have reviewed the case, and there were no lapses in medical care or patient safety,” KKH said. 

When the girl was initially assessed at the Children’s Emergency, she had a fever but was otherwise stable. As such, the paediatric consultant, Dr Wong, explained to the parents that the girl was in stable condition and not in danger. 

Before further medical examination could be conducted, the parents left the hospital but returned to the Children’s Emergency after 12 hours. Her condition was assessed as stable and she was admitted to the general ward. She was discharged the following day.

Dr Wong, against whom the KK hospital negligence allegations were made, was described as an “experienced and well-regarded doctor”. 

KK hospital also added, 

“The hospital’s priority is to provide appropriate and timely care to our patients. As such, emergency cases have to be given priority. KKH is committed to improving our patients’ experience, but parents and caregivers have to also play their part to be responsible and considerate to enable our medical professionals to perform their tasks.”

The emergency department as to attend to the most serious cases first.

What to do in the event of a medical emergency?

Mums and dads, we understand that as parents, it is extremely distressing to see your precious little one sick, let alone in an emergency situation.

Here’s what to do if your child ever experiences seizures:

1. Protect your child from injury and do not restrain them

2. Carry your child. 

3. Reduce your child’s temperature

4. Once the seizure is over, help your child to rest on their side, with their head tilted back.

Source: Channel News Asia

*Featured image source is a screengrab from Channel News Asia