Wednesday 13 April 2011

Boy, 6, dies of meningitis after doctors tell him to 'go home and sleep off sore throat'

A six-year-old boy died from meningitis just hours after he was sent home with antibiotics by hospital staff.

Mohammed Akheel Khan was rushed to Rochdale Infirmary Urgent Care Centre by his mother Safina, after he started vomiting at school. He was discharged by a doctor, who Mohammed's family say told them the little boy had tonsillitis and that they should let him 'sleep it off'.

But less than five hours later Mohammed was taken back to the hospital after his condition deteriorated. He was diagnosed with meningitis and died two hours later...
Source: Daily Mail.

2 comments:

Edward Spalton said...

This doesn't seem like "bureaucratic rationing" but simple misdiagnosis - something to which doctors (like all fallible humans) are prone.

45 years ago the family doctor was treating me for 'flu which wasn't responding. It happened that I was rearing a few calves at the time and the vet called. My mother (who was looking after the calves and me) brought the vet upstairs to tell me how the calves were. He took one look at me and said "You've got glandular fever. A lot of vets get it".

He was right. On the whole I would still prefer to be treated by a vet, if it was allowed.

Mark Wadsworth said...

Ed, the slogan is just a slogan. Good anecdote.