Message to parents
A Tragic Incident
Bilal Husayn Attari
A Karachi based Imam described a tragic incident that occurred in his locality. He explained that a kite without a flying line was being blown around in the air by the wind and got stuck between a pole mounted transformer (PMT). A child, about eight years old, saw this happen and decided to climb onto the roof of a building adjacent to the PMT in order to get the kite. While thinking of how to get the kite, his eyes fell on a metal pole. Using this to try and get hold of the kite, as soon as he extended the pole towards the kite, it came into contact with exposed electrical wires. This resulted in a powerful electric shock, throwing the child to the ground. The child’s hand was burnt so severely that it had to be amputated. This carelessness led permanent damage.
Dear parents, children are naturally curious. Children may not be aware of what is wrong, what is right, what is harmful and what is beneficial. A child is exposed to greater risks and is dependent on parental supervision until he or she becomes mature. To safeguard children from potential hazards, it would be useful to act upon the safety measures mentioned below:
* Infants should always be supervised by an adult; when they are asleep, awake, and drinking milk. Once a child is capable of rolling over, extra care needs to be taken, as the child can fall from a bed or collide into something.
* Once a child becomes a toddler, keep hazardous objects, such as medicines and sharp items, out of the child’s reach.
* The gap between the bars in safety gates should not be too wide, otherwise children may get through and fall down the stairs, or their head may get stuck in between.
* Children should be kept away from windows that do not have a safety grill or some other safety device. As children are often intrigued by what is happening outside the home, do not place any furniture near windows without a grill, because children may use it to climb to the window.
* Homes with access to the rooftop should have a high parapet, otherwise the entrance for accessing the roof should always be locked.
* Do not allow children to go outside alone, and hold their hand when you take them out.
* Ensure that the child lock is enabled when travelling with children in a car.
* Gradually make children aware of things that are harmful.
May Allah Almighty protect our children, (اٰمین).
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