PARENTS of newborn babies have been warned to be alert to the symptoms of whooping cough following potential exposure to the infectious disease in Bathurst Base Hospital.
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The Western Advocate understands a hospital staff member was working in the maternity ward just days before being diagnosed with whooping cough (pertussis).
The revelation has angered some mothers who believe the hospital did not do enough to protect their newborns once the staff member fell ill.
They were alarmed to learn last week that their newborns were at risk of infection and felt they had been given little support from the hospital.
Instead of receiving treatment at the hospital, anxious mothers were simply told to go to their general practitioner and get a prescription for an antibiotic for their babies.
“Why was this antibiotic not supplied by the hospital and delivered to mothers and babies immediately after the threat became known?” one mother asked.
A spokeswoman for Western NSW Local Health District said staff from the Public Health Unit have worked with Bathurst Health Service management to contact every person known to have come into contact with the unwell person.
She said it was determined that the best action was to refer people to their own GP for ongoing support and treatment.
The Bathurst Health Service Pharmacy worked with and supported requests from the local GPs.
“All persons within the Bathurst Health Service, and those that have visited, are reminded to look out for signs and symptoms of whooping cough and undergo prompt medical evaluation if they are concerned,” the spokeswoman said.
“Whooping cough is a serious respiratory infection that causes a long coughing illness, and can be life threatening for babies.
“Older children can bring home whooping cough from school or childcare and the infection can then be passed on to babies in the home.”
Whooping cough starts like a cold with a blocked or runny nose, sneezing, a mild fever and an occasional cough.
The cough usually gets worse, and severe bouts of uncontrollable coughing develop. This can be followed by vomiting, choking or taking big gasping breaths which causes the ‘whooping’ sound.
The cough can last for many weeks and can be worse at night. Some older children and adults just get a cough that doesn’t go away and may not get any other symptoms.
The spokeswoman said whooping cough is highly infectious in the first three weeks of a person’s illness and can spread easily through families, childcare centres and schools.
General practitioners can test for whooping cough and treat early to reduce spread to other people.
“Anyone with a cough lasting more than a day or so should consult their doctor to see if they have whooping cough so they can start appropriate antibiotics. It is important to try and protect babies who have not been vaccinated,” she said.
“Babies are given whooping cough vaccines at two, four and six months of age, with the first dose able to be given from six weeks.
“It’s also important to be on time with each vaccine in order to get the best protection.
“Whooping cough boosters are also important for older children at four years and later in high school.”
There must be questions asked about the health bureaucracy’s response to a whooping cough scare at Bathurst Base Hospital. Read today's editorial here.
