Call for safe place after drug-affected man terrifies child in Fairfield Hospital

MOTHER Iclem Senol is demanding a kid’s triage area after her five-year-old son was terrified by a drug-addled man screaming in an emergency department bed next to him at Fairfield Hospital.

Iclem Senol and her son had a frightening experience at Fairfield Hospital. Picture: Joe Murphy

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A FIVE year old boy has had a frightening ordeal in the emergency department at Fairfield Hospital — and his mother is demanding change.

Bossley Park resident Iclem Senol took her son to the emergency department on the evening of Saturday, July 29 because he was having an asthma attack and difficulty breathing.

They wound up separated by a thin curtain from a screaming man under the influence of illicit drugs.

“While he was being treated a young man was screaming the place down,” Ms Senol said. “They brought him in and placed him right next to my five-year-old.”

Ms Senol said she heard the man say he was under the influence of cocaine, marijuana and alcohol.

The drug-affected man began screaming that he was about to die.

“It got to the point where I laid down next to my son and put myself between him and the curtain as a barrier,” Ms Senol said.

“Emotions play a big part when you’re having difficulty breathing, and being scared on top of that is bad.”

Ms Senol said she did not see the supposed improvements at Fairfield Hospital. Picture James Croucher

The Advance has been campaigning since 2014 for child-specific waiting areas at Fairfield Hospital.

In June the South West Sydney Local Health District announced upcoming improvements would include four dedicated paediatric beds to address the need for a children’s treatment area.

Cabramatta state Labor MP Nick Lalich, in March, criticised plans for Fairfield Hospital’s emergency department which did not include separate triage and waiting areas for children.

“Children and adolescents should be cared for in a safe and appropriate physical environment, designed to meet their needs,” Mr Lalich said.

Ms Senol said she felt she had been let down.

“They tell us they are making millions of dollars of improvements at the hospital — where is it?” Ms Senol asked.

“I have not seen anything change so I don’t know where the money is going.”

Fairfield Hospital general manager Arnold Tammekand apologised to the Senol family for their experience.

“While staff always endeavour to separate sick and injured adults and children, the arrival of patients to an emergency department is often unannounced and unpredictable,” he said.

Mr Tammekand said Fairfield Hospital followed NSW Health policy guidelines around this issue.

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PROGRESS

Work starts next month on a $7 million upgrade of Fairfield Hospital’s emergency department.

There will be a separate area for children with paediatric beds and a children’s play area.

In February 2017 the hospital introduced paediatric doctors 24 hours a day, seven days a week to provide specialised care.