Siblings warded after eating soil
By EMBUN MAJID
embun@thestar.com.my
SUNGAI PETANI: Four siblings who allegedly ate soil for a week to stave off hunger are undergoing treatment at the intensive care unit of a hospital here.
They had vomited and complained of stomach pain earlier.
The girls, aged seven, eight, nine and 10, were taken to the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital after one of them revealed their condition to Jerai MIC chairman R. Supramaniam last Friday.
The matter came to light when the eldest girl was taken by her 70-year-old grandfather to a medical camp organised by the division at Kampung Padang Lembu, some 20km from here.
The girl suddenly vomited when the doctor was about to examine her.
Supramaniam said he was about to send the girl to the hospital when she told him her three younger sisters at home were also in pain.
“She told me that they had eaten soil as they were very hungry and there was not enough food for them,” he added.
Supramaniam said he visited their house and found the girls groaning in pain.
“They were weak and could barely move,” he added.
The children’s mother, who had just given birth 10 days ago, and their father were at home then.
Supramaniam said he then took the children to the hospital and they were admitted to the intensive care unit.
“I was told by a doctor who examined them that the children must undergo blood transfusion since they had eaten soil for a week.
“The girls are in stable condition but have to be warded for a week,” he said.
It is learnt that their father, who is in his 30s, was unemployed and the family relied on food donated by neighbours.
However, the amount of food was insufficient to feed the family.
Supramaniam said he would monitor the health condition of the children and assist the family.
source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=%2F2010%2F5%2F31%2Fnation%2F6371638&sec=nation
seals: You may not find this in Africa, and other 3rd world poor country ..... but in Malaysia too and this is how the UMNO can spend millions to pay people and offer projects to buy vote, but let the core poor die eating sand.
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