Mother of sick children says she’s unable to get flu medication
And while the school has been unable to contact the authorities, a mother of five sick children says she’s had her own share of problems with the health system. Jermin Ferrel’s kids attend St. John Vianney School but have been out with flu-like symptoms for three days. Up to today, Ferrel has not been able to get the medication she needs for her kids. But Central Health Region’s Melinda Guerra says the patients are being treated based on symptoms and medication is available at all health centers. She also told us how they are coping with the increased number of flu patients. News Five spoke first to Ferrel.
Jermin Ferrel, Mother, Five Sick Students
“I’m here because my kids are having all the symptoms right now; fever, headache, vomiting, loose stool and when yoh go to di health center yoh noh get service that you need, yoh noh get attention, yoh noh get di service you need dah hospital. Dehn got yoh di turn round instead ah dehn try give yoh di assistance what you need. Right now my son got wah headache, feel bad want fain weh, drop down. I noh know weh fi do because yoh still noh get di assistance weh yoh need dah di hospital and right now dehn still noh got di medication weh yoh need fi yoh child. Dehn need fi give yoh di treatment what you need. If you noh get di treatment what you need two if di child dehn wah pass away and den dehn wah seh dah fi we fault but it’s not our fault. Dah fi dehn fault because dehn noh give we di medication what we need. We need di mediation. If we noh get di medication how can you assist your child?”
Melinda Guerra, Acting Regional Manager, Central Health Region
“We have increased the number of staff at the health facilities and we’re also extending the amount of hours so we can accommodate as much patients as possible.”
Delahnie Bain
“One parent told us today that she has five kids with the flu symptoms and she has been having some problems getting medication for her kids. Can you address that?”
Melinda Guerra
“Okay, I don’t know form where this client came from but definitely all the health centers are supplied with the medication such as Tylenol, Benadryl, Mis Especuloso. If for whatever reason the medication wasn’t available at that time, she can always check probably in the afternoon.”
Guerra says most schools have reported cases, but emphasized that we are in the flu season and the students do not require testing for H1N1 testing unless it is a severe case. She also encourages the public to continue exercising precautionary measures of washing hands regularly and covering coughs and sneezes.
