Girl, 3, recovering after overdosing on diet pills in Sharjah

A three-year-old Arab girl who was admitted to hospital after swallowing diet pills is out of intensive care and slowly recovering, hospital officials said.

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SHARJAH // A three-year-old Arab girl who was admitted to hospital after swallowing diet pills is out of intensive care and slowly recovering, hospital officials said.

The child was admitted to Al Qassimi Hospital on Sunday after eating 14 tablets at her home.

She was unconscious for more than 48 hours while doctors treated her.

The girl regained consciousness on Wednesday and her condition improved enough for her to be removed from the intensive-care unit, said Dr Safiya Al Khajeh, medical director of Al Qassimi Hospital.

“The girl had taken about 14 tablets of the slimming medicine and when she vomited, the vomit was the same colour,” Dr Al Khajeh said.

The child arrived at the hospital unconscious and with an irregular heartbeat.  The slimming capsules were bought at Dragon Mart in Dubai by a member of her family.

“There are a lot of products going on market currently claiming to be natural when they are actually a disaster,” said Dr Al Khajeh.

She called for parents to keep all medicines out of the reach of children.

Also on Wednesday, a baby girl was abandoned at Al Qassimi Hospital near the emergency department. Police are looking for two Arab women seen in the area by staff a few minutes before the baby was found.

ykakande@thenational.ae