Toddler in ICU After Swallowing Methadone in Poste-de-Flacq
A two-year-old was rushed to intensive care at Flacq's SAJ Hospital on October 16 after ingesting methadone left in a fridge by his father.
A two-year-old child was admitted to the intensive care unit of Sir Anerood Jugnauth Hospital in Flacq on Friday, October 16, after swallowing methadone at the family home in Poste-de-Flacq, a coastal town on the east coast of Mauritius. The child's father, a 32-year-old local resident, has been taken into police custody.
According to investigators, the father had visited Bruno Cheong Hospital earlier that morning to collect his daily dose of methadone, a prescription medication used in supervised drug treatment programmes to help people manage dependency on opioids such as heroin.
He returned home at around 8:30 a.m. and reportedly placed the bottle directly in the refrigerator. Roughly twenty minutes later, the toddler had somehow gained access to the bottle and ingested a portion of the liquid. The exact circumstances under which the child reached the medication are still being clarified by police.
The family reacted quickly and rushed the child to Sir Anerood Jugnauth Hospital, known locally as SAJ Hospital, which is the main public hospital serving the Flacq district. The child's condition required immediate admission to the intensive care unit.
Flacq police attended the scene, seized the methadone bottle as evidence, and placed the father in police custody. A formal investigation has been opened.
Methadone is a controlled substance in Mauritius. It is dispensed under strict supervision through designated public hospitals as part of the country's opioid substitution therapy programme, which aims to reduce the harms associated with drug dependency. Patients collect doses at set times and are generally not permitted to take bottles home unsupervised, though the conditions of each individual's treatment can vary.
What this means: This case raises serious questions about how methadone doses are stored and secured once patients leave the dispensing facility. When a controlled substance reaches a young child in the home, it points to a gap between dispensing protocols and real-world practice. Authorities are expected to investigate not only the father's conduct but also whether existing safeguards around take-home doses are sufficient to protect others in the household.
Source: ION News
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is methadone and why is it used in Mauritius?β
Methadone is a prescription opioid medication used in drug substitution therapy to help people reduce their dependence on substances such as heroin. In Mauritius, it is dispensed through designated public hospitals including Bruno Cheong Hospital as part of a supervised treatment programme overseen by health authorities.
Which hospital was the child taken to after the incident in Poste-de-Flacq?β
The child was taken to Sir Anerood Jugnauth Hospital, commonly known as SAJ Hospital, located in Flacq on the east coast of Mauritius. It is the main public hospital for the Flacq district and admitted the toddler directly to its intensive care unit.
What happens when methadone is mishandled in Mauritius?β
Methadone is a controlled substance under Mauritian law. Mishandling it, including leaving it accessible to others, can lead to police investigation and criminal charges. In this case, the father was placed in police custody and Flacq police opened a formal investigation after the bottle was seized as evidence.
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