Girl,4, hospitalised over wrong meds

2013-03-01 07:27

(File) (Shutterstock)

Johannesburg - A 4-year-old East London girl was hospitalised for four days for diarrhoea and excessive vomiting after she was allegedly given incorrect medication by nurses, according to a report on Friday.

Last Friday morning, Awethu Mdunyelwa visited the Braelyn Clinic with excessive vomiting and diarrhoea after she completed her tuberculosis treatment, the Dispatch Online reported.

According to the report, her parents rushed her to hospital on Friday evening where the nurses administered pills to her mother who gave her five doses before she collapsed.

"The nurse that attended to us was very rude. She said my child was an inconvenience for being sick yet again," her mother Maureen was quoted as saying.

"The nurse said my child deserved to be thrown away in a refuse bag."

Awethu was diagnosed with acute gastroenteritis and after she had taken an overdose of metoclopramide, Dr Kim Harper from the Paediatrics ward at the Frere Hospital told her parents.

"Metoclopramide is normally given to adults. It is not advisable for children to take this medication," Harper told the Dispatch Online.

"The clinic might have mistaken the metoclopramide for loperamide, which has similar functions of treating diarrhoea."

The Braelyn Clinic medical report said the patient should take a tablet upon every stool release.

A Braelyn Clinic nurse who administered the medication, denied allegations that the wrong medicine was given.

Provincial health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo told the Dispatch Online that the department would investigate the matter.

- SAPA