(Trinidad Express) A six-year-old boy was stung by a scorpion while at school on Monday.
Masood Ali was sitting in the First Year classroom of Rochard Douglas Presbyterian School when the scorpion stung him on his left foot around 2 p.m.
The Express was told by the child’s mother, Maltee Ali, that her son was discharged from hospital as he did not show signs of poisoning.
Ali met her son at the health centre when he was being examined by doctors, then accompanied him to the San Fernando General Hospital where he was examined further and kept for several hours for observation.
The child was discharged from hospital on Monday night.
Speaking with the Express yesterday at the family’s home in Barrackpore, Ali said her son is feeling well and should return to school this week.
“He is feeling a lot better. He is still very scared to return to school because he did not know what a scorpion was. He is scared to go back to class”, she said.
While the mother is relieved that her son seemed well after the ordeal, she was upset that a school official told her that the scorpion did not come from the school’s compound, but that it came with the child from his home.
“The doctors said that there is no way that the scorpion would sting the child in the afternoon if it was on him since the morning. The school should take more responsibility and care for the surroundings. There is tall grass growing all around the school, there are flies in the cafeteria, and other things”, she said.
No symptoms of poisoning
The mother said her son told her that on Monday afternoon he was sitting at his desk doing work when he was stung by the scorpion, which was later measured at three and a half inches.
“He said it was close to home time. He was wearing a long pants because that day was PE (Physical Education) class. Masood saw it crawling up his left shoe and he screamed. He took off his shoe but then he said he felt a sting like a (wasp),” she said. She said the teacher came to him and took his shoe and killed the scorpion.
She said the school principal took the child to the Rochard Road District Health Centre, where doctors examined and treated him.
The child was then transferred by ambulance to the San Fernando General Hospital where he was again examined.
He was kept for several hours for observation, and after he showed no symptoms of poisoning he was discharged from hospital.
The mother said that she believed that the stinger of the scorpion may have grazed her son’s foot because no marks were left on her son’s skin.
She said her son vomited yesterday morning, but she believed it was because of acid reflux since he did not eat for several hours on Monday after.
She said her son showed no other symptoms that he was affected by a sting.
An official of the Ministry of Education said the ministry was made aware of the incident by school officials.
The ministry official said arrangements were made with the relevant government agencies to have the school compound cleaned and sprayed.
In another incident, a seven-year-old girl was stung by a scorpion on Sunday night at the child’s home in Tortuga.
The Express was told that the child was brought to the San Fernando General Hospital on Monday morning by her parents.
The child was hospitalised overnight and discharged on Tuesday.
