Berlinda Lum – the mother of a 14-month-old baby – has accused a Bedok clinic of giving her baby the wrong prescription for Fedac cough syrup after she took her child to the clinic last Wednesday, 22 Nov.
The clinic had prescribed that Lum feed her baby 10ml of the cough syrup which she did. When the child fell unconscious, Lum rushed her child to Gleneagles Hospital where doctors found that the child had overdosed on codeine – an opiate found in Fedac cough syrup.
Lum’s baby only regained consciousness a full day later.
When Lum called the Bedok clinic, she was allegedly asked “So what do you want us to do now?”
When she subsequently visited the clinic in person, she was apparently told by the doctor that the correct dosage for her child should have been 2.5ml, thrice a day – this is four time more than what was printed on the label of the cough syrup.
However, the Bedok clinic doctor’s new prescription also appears to be wrong – according to a Health Sciences Authority directive, Fedac is not to be prescribed to children below the age of two. It is to be prescribed with caution to children between the ages of 2-6.
According to an Australian medical drug directory, only 1.5ml of Fedac is supposed to be prescribed to children between the ages of 2-5, if it is prescribed at all.
Lum has since reported the case to the Singapore Medical Council (SMC). The investigation is expected to take at least 9 months.
Read Lum’s story in her own words here:
On 22nd evening, my son went to a clinic in Bedok (clinic name withheld), and consulted the doctor, Dr. (name withheld), and he prescribed Fedac for my son, who is suffering from cough.
However, this is the start of my nightmare, as after we went home, and feeding him with the medicine, he was completely knock out, which I thought was normal. Upon closer inspection, his prescription was supposed to be 2.5ml 3 times a day, but the label written was 10ml 3 times a day, which I had fed him with!
In another words, he was fed 4 times of his dosage and immediately, I took him to Gleneagle Hospital A&E to seek antidote for him!
The doctor at Gleneagle told me that if I had given the complete doesage as per prescribed for 3 times a day @ 10ml each time, my son will die!
The next day, I called the clinic and told them what happen, and guess what, they arrogantly told me that: ‘So what you want us to do now’? Instead of apologizing, their attitude are beyond words can describe.
Immediately, I went down to the clinic and request to speak to the doctor, and understand from the doctor that this is not the first time they had negligence on their case: first time was wrongly prescribe ear drop as eye drop, and second was a patient at 106 years old with high blood wrongly prescribed with diabetic medication, which nearly kills the patient.
My son only woke up yesterday evening, 23rd November, and still a little bit drowsy. I really hope there’s no side effect on his future growth!
I’ve also taken the liberty to speak to the Singapore Medical Council of reporting them, and all they ever reply is that they will take 9 months to investigate the case! I’m not sure how much damage they will have done in the 9 months if they are still operating.
Those who knows me also knows that I’m the founder of Ian Milk Blessing, To date, I’ve been very active in providing free milk powder to the less fortunate, and had blessed others close to 8000 tins of milk, and spending my time going around Singapore to help others till 2.00 to 3.00am in the morning.
All I’m asking, is to let the general public knows about the negligence practice of this clinic, and please avoid at all cost!
—
UPDATE: Qualitas Medical group, the group managing YSL Bedok Clinic & Surgery, which is the clinic accused of prescribing an overdose of cough syrup to the baby, has apologised over the matter and has offered to cover the medical costs of the child:
https://theindependent.sg.sg/clinics-management-offers-to-reimburse-medical-costs-of-toddler-prescribed-overdose-of-cough-syrup/