EJ Insight » Hong KongToday, 19:15
A primary school in Sai Wan Ho has been accused of failing to respond properly to an eye injury suffered by a boy on its premises. Photos: Google Maps, Ming Pao Daily
A woman has lodged a complaint against an educational institution in connection with an injury suffered by her son in school more than three months ago.
The woman alleges that the institution failed to inform her or call an ambulance immediately when her son suffered a severe eye injury in July on the school premises, Ming Pao Daily reported.
The complaint was lodged with the government’s Education Bureau. The school in question is the Hong Kong Chinese Women’s Club Hioe Tjo Yoeng Primary School, which is located in Sai Wan Ho.
According to the woman, who bears the surname Wong, her son who was then a primary six student attended an alumni event at the school on July 11.
As the boy was playing a ball game with his peers, he accidentally tripped over and fell, hitting his face against a floor cabinet.
His eyeglasses broke into pieces due to the accident and one glass shard pierced his right eye, causing traumatic injury. Meanwhile, he was also bleeding from the nose and mouth.
The boy was in severe pain and had to be helped up by two friends. Later he was taken to the general office by the school secretary.
The boy’s mother now says that she did not receive a single call from school at the time of the accident, and that she instead got the news from another parent.
She says she rushed to the school by taxi and was then advised to take her son to a private clinic.
However, seeing blood all over the face of the boy, who was not able to open his right eye, the mother requested the school to call an ambulance.
The boy was subsequently taken to the Pamela Youde Nethersole Eastern Hospital where he underwent a four-and-a-half emergency operation on his right eye.
Doctors removed a glass piece 5 millimeters long and 3 millimeters wide from the child’s eyeball.
A preliminary medical report said the boy suffered trauma due to right eyeball rupture, right upper and lower lid lacerations and right orbital floor fracture.
The school’s vice-principal, a person named Ip Wai-man, meanwhile is said to have justified the decision to not call for an ambulance immediately.
While expressing regret over the incident, Ip insisted that the school followed the guidelines and protocol in dealing with the special situation and that the staff did their best to assist the boy and his mother.
When questioned by a reporter, Ip declined to share the details or give information on the person who first conducted an assessment of the boy’s situation and what professional qualifications that person had, Ming Pao reported.
Following a previous incident at the CCC Kei Chun Primary School in Kwai Chung, the Education Bureau has updated the administration guidelines for the 2015/16 school year.
According to the guidelines, school authorities are required to activate a crisis management mechanism and assess the situation promptly and exercise professional judgment in dealing with medical emergency situations.
The rules require school staff to dial 999 immediately for emergency assistance or call for ambulance service in case of serious or life-threatening accidents.
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