STOMPer Angry Parent is annoyed that her children had to see the doctor five times in a month because they were suspected to have hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) by the non-medical staff at a childcare centre. A doctor apparently told the STOMPer that the childcare centre was being 'over-paranoid' over HMFD.

HMFD is a viral infection that usually affects infants and children. Symptoms of HMFD include blisters on hands and feet, oral lesions, fever and vomiting.

The STOMPer said:

"I had to bring my two children to see doctors five times within a month to get the HFMD clearance letter, so that the childcare centre staff can be assured that the spot, rash or ulcer they had spotted wasn't HFMD.

"There was no response when I sought help from the authorities to let my children go back to school.

"The childcare centre's management responded to me: 'We are not medical trained so we need doctors to advise us on that.'

"The paediatrician whom i visited said: 'The school is over-paranoid over this HFMD'.

"The staff should not bar children from school just because of a spot, rash or ulcer as they can develop because of various other viruses.

"Only when I visited the doctor for the fifth time did the childcare centre tell me that they had a one-ulcer policy.

"Did they just create this policy?

"The money and unpaid leave I spent were simply unnecessary, and a result of their paranoia."