Five city preschoolers were yesterday morning rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) and admitted overnight after they ingested rat poison allegedly taken to school and shared by a peer.
The five girls, aged 5 and 6 years old, were taken to the hospital by their teacher after one of them began vomiting and investigations revealed that they had consumed the rat poison which another student had shared as candy.
Doctors, after carrying out various tests, told the parents that while it did not appear that the children were in any danger, they would be kept overnight for observation and follow-up tests would be done today.
“I was called to come down to the hospital because it seems [name given] taste rat poison some child bring in a packet. When we get here they do all kinds of blood tests and said that she would be okay. It ain’t seem serious but you know the doctor tell we that they will keep all five of them and tomorrow after everything they can go home,” a parent of one of the children told Stabroek News.
One of the five-year-old girls told Stabroek News that her friend took the poison in a bag and shared it out. “[name given] bring it tie up in a plastic bag and [another child] bite it and then we think was sweetie and we ask and I lick it and all ah we here taste it but we didn’t know was rat poison,” the smiling child recounted.
While she complained to her mother that her tummy was hurting her parent felt it was because she was hungry as they were restricted from eating anything since the incident. The chatty tot recounted the incident from the time of sharing of the “sweetie” to being taken to the nearby clinic and then to the hospital. She was aware that she had to sleep overnight at the hospital and it was clear that she dreaded this. However, when she heard that the Paediatric Ward had toys and other children she had a change of heart and wanted to leave for that facility immediately.
Ministry of Education Public Relations Officer Suelle Williams told Stabroek News that officials were aware of the matter and were following the developments closely. “They know about the matter. It appears one of the students took it to school. When the teacher became aware they were taken to the nearby clinic but were referred to the GPHC. They are being kept for observation and ministry officials were there and are looking at it,” Williams said.
The class teacher was present at the medical facility with the students and the parents said she had been there all the time from 9.30 am when the preschoolers were taken in.
Some of the parents stressed that guardians need to be more alert especially when dealing with young children. They said the teachers at the preschool facility do an excellent job but parents need to check on what their children are taking to school. “These children know how to smuggle, you think is joke. You tell them they can’t carry this toy or that they will wait and pack it anyway. That’s how they are. As parents we just need to be very vigilant,” one of the mothers said.
