Help for families with critically sick children

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KUCHING: The plight of critically sick children is still a pertinent issue that requires much attention from society.

Despite a survival rate of 85 per cent among critically ill children brought to the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, between 10 and 15 per cent of them will need some form of medical support and rehabilitation at home.

The issue was highlighted at a press conference by the ‘Society For Critically Sick Children’ (SOSkids) held on Friday night at Four Points by Sheraton Kuching.

According to Sarawak General Hospital (SGH) Consultant Paediatrician Dr Chor Yek Kee, problems still arise as the care for SOS children is a burden on families, as home treatment may include medical devices, proper nutrition, better housing environment and vaccinations.

“Recovery takes time and care at home will cause a great burden for these families, especially if conditions are not well-equipped to care for the child, the care might be compromised,” he said with concern.

However, many times these critically sick children have to be first treated in the ward, thus disrupting the family cycle as one parent has to stay with the child in hospital while the other parent has to sacrifice work to shoulder more burden at home.

He also explained that inability to take care of the child at home will lead to prolonged hospital care which could add further complications.

“Prolonged hospital care may incur recurrent infection of the treated disease, and as the PICU and paediatrics ward have restricted space, it may cause a delay in the child’s overall support,” Dr Chor said.

This is where ‘SOSkids’ steps in to improve living conditions for these families as well as provide financial assistance for home treatment, according to SOS president Richard Lee.

Their strategies include provision of conducive housing through home modification of the patient’s current housing and sometimes relocation of the family to a suitable place closer to hospital.

They also assist in providing vaccination that are not available in governmental settings like pneumococcal and influenza vaccines.