Children with food allergies risk dying at school if teachers continue refusing to administer life-saving medication to counter possible allergic reactions, parents have warned.
Speaking to The Sunday Times of Malta, parents expressed concern that the directive given to teachers by their union not to administer the medication was posing serious risks for their children.
They have urged the authorities to address the situation by identifying individuals in each school who will be responsible for the administration of EpiPen.
The parents said their aim was to create awareness on the potentially-lethal conditions of their children and get the school and education authorities to realise that products like EpiPen provided a basic first aid and life-saving injection.
They insisted on remaining anonymous, claiming their children already stood out because of their food allergy.
Food allergies can be life threatening. The parents said although it is unrealistic to believe all risks could be eliminated, the possibility of accidental exposure to foods can be reduced if schools work with students, parents, and physicians to minimise the risks.
The EpiPen is an auto-injector used for the emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions caused by allergens. They are intended for immediate self-administration as emergency supportive therapy and must be followed by emergency treatment in hospital.
EpiPens contain a single dose of epinephrine, which is injected into one’s outer thigh. The medication is also used for diabetic, epileptic and asthmatic children.
The device is used by holding the pen firmly, pressing the orange tip into the thigh and keeping it there for 10 seconds. Upon removal, the orange tip covers the needle again.
School authorities told parents that although they could make the school environment as nut-free as possible, they could not guarantee that other children do not eat food items containing nuts.
Moreover, they were told that teachers, learning support assistants and kindergarten assistants could not administer the EpiPen since they were not qualified to do so.
What we are concerned about is the lack of proper legislation covering teachers if something went wrong
When contacted, Malta Union of Teachers president Kevin Bonello said discussions were under way with the Education Ministry to address the issue, given the increase in the number of schoolchildren who were being diagnosed with food allergies.
“We have proposed identifying two teachers per school who will be the designated first-aiders and who would receive all the training required to provide first-aid, including administering the EpiPen. The government seems to have accepted this in principle but discussions are ongoing to see how we are going to go about it,” he said.
He said the union had not issued a directive as such but had warned teachers about the lack of a legal framework to cover them if something went wrong.
“The issue goes deeper than simply administering the EpiPen. What we are concerned about is the lack of proper legislation covering teachers if something went wrong.
“We also need to address guardianship as we’ve had cases where the child is taken to a polyclinic and cannot be treated because the parents cannot be reached,” he said.
Mr Bonello said he understood the parents’ concern and hoped to have the issue resolved by the beginning of the new scholastic year.
The parents questioned what would happen if this agreement is not reached before schools reopen, adding that they faced the same problems at childcare centres.
Given the cost of each EpiPen, priced at €60 each, the parents also asked whether the government would consider including the EpiPen on the State list of free medicines.
When contacted, a spokesman for the Education Ministry would only confirm that discussions with the MUT were under way.
mxuereb@timesofmalta.com