Mom says child lucky to be alive after repeated misdiagnoses at Cape Dorset health centre

A mother in Cape Dorset, Nunavut, says her childis lucky to be alive after her burst appendix was repeatedly misdiagnosed at the local health centre.

"I knew there was a serious medical issue because she obviously wouldn't be so ill, if she was in good health, she wouldn't be so sick," said MialiaAdlain Inuktitut.

"I sent her to the health centre repeatedly because it was not fine."

During a tearful interview with CBC,Adlasaidmore than a week and a half ago she took her four-year-old daughter to the health centre after noticing shewas in extremepain.Adlasaida nurse told her it was an ear infection and gave herantibiotics.

"The second time we went she had a fever, so they gave her Tylenol andMotrin," saidAdla.

"But because she was eating fine and still urinating fine, they told us that all is well. The third timeI went with my daughter, they told us that she was constipated."

Nomedevacprovided

Adlasays, in all, she took her daughter to the health centre five times, the last time on Sunday. She asked for her to be medevaced to hospital inIqaluit, but said the nurse she spoke to was very reluctant to authorize the trip.

"The nurse blatantly asked me, 'Why should I send you,'" saidAdla."I had to speak up and tell her again in a more forceful wayit was only then that we were allowed to come to Iqaluit."

The mother says, even then, she and her daughter were notmedevaced. Theyhad to wait for a scheduled flight the next day.

"The nurse told me that my daughter is just constipated and told me that is what the doctors inIqaluitwill tell us anyway," Adlasaid.

When they arrived, doctors inIqaluitsaid her daughter's appendix had likely burst more than two weeks earlier,Adlasaid.She said they told her her daughter would not have had a fever if she was suffering from constipation.

The little girl underwent emergency surgery inIqaluit. She is expected to make a full recovery.

It is not the first time the quality of care at the Cape Dorsethealth centre has been called into question.A baby died in 2012 after a nurse reportedly refused to treat the child. The nurse, who no longer works there,was the subject of numerous complaints from people going to the centre for health care.

Nunavuthealth officials refused to comment on Adla's daughter, saying they do not talk about specific medical cases. They saidanytime residents are concerned with their health care or require assistance, they can contactthe health department.

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