Knowing When a Child Needs Medical Care

One day recently, a mother and father brought their 18-month-old daughter to see me. The girl’s name was Kadiatou. She had very bad diarrhea and her parents were extremely worried. I treated the little girl with oral rehydration solution and zinc, but her case was severe, so I told the parents they must take her immediately to the health center for further treatment. We health workers can do a lot for the children, but we are trained to know when a child is so sick that they must be taken to a medical facility. Sometimes the parents do not want to go because they have a lot of work to do at home, and they are hoping the child will get better. But if they wait too long, their child might die. That is one reason why the work I do is so important. The parents will come see me because I am close by. Then I can help make sure the sick child gets the right treatment, even if it means I have to push the parents a little bit.