Letter to the Editor, Tuesday June 2

Something's not right

I want to share a short moment in the life of my baby girl. I never intended to share this story, but I believe it should be told.

Three times last week I took my baby girl to the doctor (Monday, Wednesday and Friday), and each time she was seen by a different GP and each time I was told 'ride it out'. I was advised to relieve her asthmatic cough with an inhaler, Pamol for the fever.

My own common sense told me to keep up the fluids, stay home, keep the house cool but warm so as not to get a chill ... but she continued to labour for breath and cough until she vomited. The crackling sound in her chest (which two doctors had heard, and one even said 'Something's not right') had worsened and her feverish temperature was not going away.

Saturday arrived and my baby girl was literally sick and tired from 'riding it out', so off we went to A&E.

Thank goodness that this fourth visit (with yet another different medical professional) someone was actually listening to me (and her chest) and we were given the antibiotics that she so desperately needed. Thank goodness someone got it right!

I was also told by a friend to ask for chest x-rays, which I did, and had carried out on Monday. Today is Wednesday, and her results from the chest x-ray reveal she has pneumonia. Oh my gosh, are you kidding me! What if I hadn't taken the advice from my friend? I would be happily feeding my baby medication with no inkling that she has pneumonia.

Now, I don't want to sound disrespectful or ungrateful to those medical professionals who tried to help me last week, but when I went back today to make an appointment to have my baby checked out (now that I know she has pneumonia) I was referred to one of the practitioners that we had seen last week. I'm sorry to say, I declined this appointment and asked for someone else.

Unfortunately I was advised that the earliest my baby can see the GP of choice would be next week. What a very sad state of affairs.

I am appalled and very worried about the medical services that service our town.

Not good enough.

PEEVED OFF MAMA

Kaitaia