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Parents of sick baby told to drive 100km to another hospital as 'doctor was playing cards'

Distraught parents of a severely dehydrated baby have claimed a doctor told them their child would need to travel 100km to another hospital because he planned to play cards instead.

Lisa Milligan and Bill Sullivan, from Westport, New Zealand, rushed their two-month-old son, Holden, to nearby Buller Hospital on March 15 after his health had dramatically deteriorated and had become pale from what turned out to be the intestinal infection gastroenteritis, causing severe dehydration.

But on arrival at the hospital, the couple were in disbelief when they were allegedly told they'd have to seek emergency medical treatment elsewhere as the doctor on call was preoccupied, and that the hospital did not cater for children or babies.

"[The doctor] proceeded to tell me he would not be available on call as he had a game of bridge," the parents wrote on a Give A Little page for Holden.

Holden was allegedly made to wait hours before he was given medical treatment. Source: Give A Little
Holden was allegedly made to wait hours before he was given medical treatment. Source: Give A Little

"He almost came across to me as incompetent as he wasn't sure what to do next, felt like he couldn't care less."

After allegedly waiting nine hours at the hospital with no medical attention given to Holden, they were instead forced to drive for an hour and a half to Grey Base Hospital in Greymouth where doctors said Holden's condition was "imminently life-threatening".

"I don't think he would have lasted much longer. It was touch and go. I was flashing people to pull over and let us pass," Mr Sullivan told Stuff.

When they arrived, Holden was unresponsive and medical teams rushed to his aid, placing him on antibiotics, a drip and a feeding tube. He soon responded to treatment and came around.

A doctor at Buller Hospital allegedly told the worried parents he wouldn't be able to treat Holden because he had a card game organised. Source: Google Maps
A doctor at Buller Hospital allegedly told the worried parents he wouldn't be able to treat Holden because he had a card game organised. Source: Google Maps

Mr Sullivan said his son's initial blood sample was "like glue."

The parents have since lodged a complaint with the Health and Disability Commissioner's office.

West Coast District Health Board general manager Philip Wheble refused to comment to Stuff on the matter until an ongoing investigation came to its conclusion.