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Published on July 19, 2007

At the funeral for Mathayom Four student Ployprapa Naprasert-porn at Wat Ban Mee, her 48-year-old father Pairoj said his daughter complained of headaches and fever on July 5, her birthday.

Pairoj told his daughter to go to Tambon Bang Pla Ma health station, where she was given medicine.

On the night of July 12, Ployprapa developed high fever and began vomiting. She was rushed to Bang Pla Ma Hospital, which diagnosed her as suffering from dengue fever, Pairoj said.

Ployprapa was transferred to the better-equipped Chao Phraya Yommarat Hospital's intensive care unit, where doctors also confirmed she had dengue fever and warned the family to prepare for the worst because the girl's chronic liver and kidney illness made her prone to infections. Ployprapa later succumbed to the fever.

"What I want to criticise is the tambon health station staff. They should have told her what to do, not just give her medicines and release her home without any advice about her illness," Pairoj said.

Somporn Jeungjaroensilpa, the head of the health station, said Ployprapa had a headache, runny nose and fever, so health officials gave her medicine for those symptoms.

She insisted that health official also suggested that the girl go to hospital if her condition did not improve because initially it could not be determined if she had been bitten by mosquitoes and if she had contracted dengue fever. She claimed that the officials did not neglect the patient.

Suphan Buri public health chief Dr Surin Prasithiran said the office would ask about the health official's treatment of Ployprapa and, if it was found they did not give advice and neglected the patient, an investigation would begin.

The provincial authorities continuously destroy mosquito breeding grounds and hand out Abate sand to kill larvae, as well as larvae-inspecting forms to district health offices, school directors and community leaders, Surin said.

He said the incidence of dengue may have increased since January and that 190 dengue-fever patients had been reported in Suphan Buri. Most patients caught the fever from mosquitoes in their homes.

The Nation

SUPHAN BURI