TRENTON, Ont. — A southeastern Ontario mother has sent a complaint against an emergency room doctor for allegedly refusing to treat her four-year-old daughter.
Brianna Warrhunter took her child to hospital in Trenton Wednesday after a daycare worker noticed an "unexplained rash," the Trenton woman wrote in a complaint she sent to the Ontario Medical Association.
Warrhunter said Dr. Amber Hayward Stewart began to examine her daughter and asked when the girl had her most recent immunizations.
Warrhunter said she told the doctor her daughter didn't have immunizations as she and the father are "conscientious objectors” of immunizations.
“Her tone turned from friendly to rude,” said Warrhunter, alleging the Trenton Memorial Hospital doctor promptly stopped the exam and left the room saying she could not help the girl.
“How were we to go about finding out if she is contagious if no one at emerg will attempt to diagnose her based on the fact that she is not immunized?
I did not seek medical attention for my child for us to be demoralized, judged and lectured like I myself am the child,” said Warrhunter.
“In Canada we have the choice to immunize or not and we choose not to.”
Warrhunter and her daughter left without a diagnosis and went to another hospital.
“The doctor was professional and was aware that my child was not immunized... and assured me it was not contagious and provided a note for my child's daycare,” said Warrhunter.
Quinte Health Care spokeswoman Susan Rowe said she could not speak about the individual case citing patient confidentiality concerns.
“There is no information I can give you from the doctor's perspective or that of other health care provider that might have been involved,” said Rowe.
She did say Quinte Health Care, which operates Trenton Memorial Hospital, does not have a specific policy or protocol for doctors to follow in regards to providing care for unvaccinated children – physicians can make the choice to refuse care for unvaccinated children.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, immunizations are not mandatory. However, children in Ontario, New Brunswick and Manitoba require certain vaccines otherwise they may be excluded from going to school during a disease outbreak.
https://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/30/doctor-refused-to-treat-girl-without-vaccinations-mother
Brianna Warrhunter took her child to hospital in Trenton Wednesday after a daycare worker noticed an "unexplained rash," the Trenton woman wrote in a complaint she sent to the Ontario Medical Association.
Warrhunter said Dr. Amber Hayward Stewart began to examine her daughter and asked when the girl had her most recent immunizations.
Warrhunter said she told the doctor her daughter didn't have immunizations as she and the father are "conscientious objectors” of immunizations.
“Her tone turned from friendly to rude,” said Warrhunter, alleging the Trenton Memorial Hospital doctor promptly stopped the exam and left the room saying she could not help the girl.
“How were we to go about finding out if she is contagious if no one at emerg will attempt to diagnose her based on the fact that she is not immunized?
I did not seek medical attention for my child for us to be demoralized, judged and lectured like I myself am the child,” said Warrhunter.
“In Canada we have the choice to immunize or not and we choose not to.”
Warrhunter and her daughter left without a diagnosis and went to another hospital.
“The doctor was professional and was aware that my child was not immunized... and assured me it was not contagious and provided a note for my child's daycare,” said Warrhunter.
Quinte Health Care spokeswoman Susan Rowe said she could not speak about the individual case citing patient confidentiality concerns.
“There is no information I can give you from the doctor's perspective or that of other health care provider that might have been involved,” said Rowe.
She did say Quinte Health Care, which operates Trenton Memorial Hospital, does not have a specific policy or protocol for doctors to follow in regards to providing care for unvaccinated children – physicians can make the choice to refuse care for unvaccinated children.
According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, immunizations are not mandatory. However, children in Ontario, New Brunswick and Manitoba require certain vaccines otherwise they may be excluded from going to school during a disease outbreak.
https://www.torontosun.com/2012/07/30/doctor-refused-to-treat-girl-without-vaccinations-mother
