Parents question school injury guidelines after daughter left with gaping head wound

The father of a 10-year-old girl injured at school says staff should have done more to treat her after the accident.

Mukhtar Chaudhry says family members received a voicemail letting them know their daughter, Memona, had bumped her head in a fall at Samuel W. Shaw School in Shawnessy on Feb. 22.

When they arrived to pick her up, they say they were shocked to find her with a deep, gaping head wound on her forehead running up into her hairline, as seen in a photo shared with CBC News.

The family believe more first aid should have been administered by staff and even an ambulance called, given it was a head injury.

The girl ended up being transported to hospital from her home, where she received treatment, including several stitches.

Chaudhry said it was much worse than just a bump on the head and should have been treated as such.

"The teacher gave her just a brown paper towel, like you see at any gas station, to put on the wound," he said. "That was it.

"When they got home, they saw it was a very deep cut and we didn't want to take any chances, so [we] called a paramedic."

The girl was taken to the South Health Campus in an ambulance.

Concerns surrounding protocol

"They did not follow the protocol after the incident," Chaudhry claimed. "They didn't do anything."

In an emailed statement, a Calgary Board of Education spokesperson said staff at the school did everything correctly.

"The Calgary Board of Education follows established protocols and processes for all accidents, injury reporting and investigations," the spokesperson said.

"All accidents are reported as soon as the injured have been taken care of. The reporting process for student accidents includes contacting the parent/guardian, administering first aid if required, and identifying the level of medical attention required.

"Following the incident, supervisors and employees participate in an investigation of the accident or injury report. In all situations, we examine the steps taken to improve our practices and ensure the safety of our students."

Chaudhry said he sent an email to the Calgary Board of Education and has been in contact with the principal and education director at the school. In Chaudhry's view, the responses he received were lacking and his concerns weren't taken seriously.

"They don't want to look at the case or what they did at their side," he said.

"They have a first aid kit at school. If it's possible, she should be given first aid, and if not, they should have called a paramedic."

Chaudhry said they should take a look at what happened and what they could have done differently. 

"What happened to my daughter, I don't want to see happen to other kids," he said.