Working parents can't be loving parents???

In light of the recent swine flu outbreak, schools are now conducting temperature-taking exercises twice a day and telling students whose temperature exceeds the trigger temperature to go home and rest after visiting a doctor.

Today, I heard about a student who was brought to the quarantine area because she was running a rather high fever. In fact, quite a number of students are down with flu these days, so she wasn't the only one asked to go home. But what made her stand out was the way her mother reacted to the call from the school, telling her that her daughter was ill and had to be brought home.

Apparently, the conversation went like this...

Teacher: Good morning Mrs XXX, I'm calling from XXX School. Your daughter is running a fever and has to be sent home. Could you please pick her up?

Parent: Fever only mah. No need to go home lah. Still got lessons right?

Teacher: Yes, but because of the swine flu outbreak, we are taking precautionary measures and have to send whoever is not feeling well home.

Parent: But I'm working now leh. No time to pick her up. Just get her to come home herself lah.

Teacher: But she is feeling rather weak as well. It would not be safe to send her back alone. Is there anyone else who could pick her up?

Parent: Her father also working. We both no time to go to school to get her lah!

Teacher: What about any other adult?

Parent: You want a seventy-year-old ah ma to go all the way to school to get her ah? You crazy ah? We really no time lah! You see what you can do lah! *line went dead*

WTH??? Not only was the parent extremely rude to the teacher, she also shows that she'd rather continue working than accompany her sick daughter to see a doctor and go home to rest. It's not as if she tried and just couldn't get away from work -- she didn't even want to try to ask for leave. I just feel very sorry for the daughter who was just sitting feebly at the side while this conversation was going on. If a parent can be so cold over the phone, even when it comes to the well-being of her own child, what kind of a life does the child actually lead at home? I simply can't imagine this child being loved and cared for each day.

I'm sure this is not an isolated case. Just feeling sad when I think about this girl. Sigh. And the parent doesn't even seem to realise how serious the flu pandemic is right now, and the national consequences it may lead to. Would this parent be the kind to teach the child about social responsibilities? I seriously doubt it. Haiz... what to do... :(