Seven-year-old faces uncertain future after stepping on needle

A worried mother faces months of uncertainty after her son stepped on a used syringe at a South Mackay playground.

The seven-year-old boy underwent the first of a long series of tests at Mackay Base Hospital on Saturday.

He would have to have more tests in three months and again six months after that before being cleared of any infection, the mother of five said.

“I’m staying positive, but I’m prepared for the worst,” she said. “I just want him not to worry about it.”

 

Mum is now campaigning by distributing flyers to neighbours warning of needle dangers an advising on safe disposal. As she says, “having a diabetic child I know how to dispose of needles, it’s easy“.

Mackay is a small coastal city in Queensland, Australia, looking out to the Coral Sea. Regrettably, it is not free from IV drug abuse, and this is the consequence.

Though it is reported that people congregate in the unlit park after dark, police and other direct action will only drive the push elsewhere, without necessarily reducing the risk of accidental sharps injury. Since this is a considerable hazard and major public health issue, the next option might be to provide a secure sharps box, though few residents would be likely to accept that, especially in a children’s playground.

This leads to two questions. Are there enough funds to provide a secure and safe location for injections, a “shooting gallery” and would the community accept this? And secondly, what about offering fully automatic or passive engineered safety sharps that would deactivate and return to a safe condition once used?

Both options will cost money. But in the long term, how much will they save?

http://www.news-mail.com.au/news/child-steps-on-needle-in-mackay-health/2187271/

 

 

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