Mum claims son not treated despite prolonged vomiting, NUH says caregiver declined admission
A mother has accused National University Hospital (NUH) of insufficient care for her child with special needs.
In a Facebook post dated Jan 12, Ms Huang, 39, described "an extremely disappointing, distressing, and unacceptable experience" at NUH's Paediatric Gastroenterology department.
Ms Huang was seeking a specialist consultation for her 12-year-old son Sijie, who has autism and is non-verbal, after "severe, prolonged vomiting for months."
Speaking to Stomp, Ms Huang, who works in the insurance industry, said her family first believed the vomiting was a result of her son's habit of sticking his finger into his mouth.
After the boy began lying down more frequently — a worrying change from his usual active self — the family suspected a more serious cause. The 12-year-old also visibly lost weight.
Junior doctor allegedly told caregivers to "let him vomit it out"
The appointment at the Paediatric Gastroenterology department was the result of an emergency department visit on Dec 27 2025.
At the time of the emergency department visit, Sijie had been vomiting "all day long" for the past two days, unable to keep down any food he ate. Medicine provided by a previous general practitioner (GP) was also ineffective.
"Despite the severity of his condition, a junior doctor refused to prescribe any medication, telling us to 'let him vomit it out,'" Ms Huang wrote in her post.
A senior doctor then administered an oral medicine after her husband's insistence. The frequency of vomiting reduced, but did not stop completely.
"While there was no immediate intervention required, the accompanying caregiver was offered the option for admission, given the medical background and duration of symptoms. This was declined," an NUH spokesperson said in a statement to Stomp.
However, Ms Huang explained that they declined a hospital stay because her family wanted to observe Sijie's symptoms at home and were wary about introducing a child with autism to an unfamiliar environment.
No tests conducted during specialist visit
Her family were referred to the Paediatric Gastroenterology department after allegedly being told that only a specialist could determine the cause of the vomiting.
The appointment took place two weeks later on Jan 12, with Ms Huang and her family expecting tests to be conducted.
However, the consultation only lasted five minutes. Ms Huang claimed that the doctor only placed his hand on her son's stomach and told her husband and helper to continue observing him.
"The family took leave from work, paid for transport, and paid expensive specialist consultation fees, expecting at minimum a proper medical assessment and a clear explanation," Ms Huang wrote.
"Did the doctor explain possible causes, risks, options, or next steps? Did he even acknowledge the severity of the situation? No. Nothing."
The family also did not understand why the specialist gave instructions to continue observing her son, as they had already been doing so since the visit to the emergency department.
"At the time of consultation, the child was assessed to be stable, and had no symptoms that required immediate investigations or hospital admission. Furthermore, the caregiver had reported that the patient's symptoms had already improved with non-medical measures," the NUH spokesperson said.
Experience further soured by hospital feedback hotline
Angered by her husband and helper's account of the specialist visit, Ms Huang attempted to contact the hospital's quality service manager.
However, she claimed that multiple calls went unanswered. After she left an emotionally charged voice message, a staff member from the hotline reached out.
Ms Huang offered two options to rectify her experience: refund her husband for the trip to the specialist, or schedule another complimentary specialist appointment.
Following the specialist visit, Ms Huang's family brought their son to a GP and a polytechnic to obtain referral letters for private and public hospitals, respectively.
Sharp object found in son's stomach after visiting KKH
During a subsequent visit to KK Women's and Children's Hospital on Jan 15, an X-ray examination was ordered. A sharp object was then found in Sijie's stomach.
The 12-year-old is currently hospitalised at KKH awaiting treatment, although doctors are unsure whether the object was responsible for the vomiting episodes.
Surgery may be required if the object cannot be passed out after administering a laxative and passing motion, Ms Huang said.
