ARLINGTON, MASS. (WHDH) - Arlington town officials say they are taking action after two young girls were stuck by a used needle while playing outside a local school.
Officers responding to a reported medical call on the Foster Street side of the Gibbs Middle School about 4 p.m. Tuesday determined that two girls, ages 5 and 7, had been stuck by a discarded needle while participating in an after-school program.
The director of the Arlington Recreation Kid Care program told police one of the girls was stuck in the hand when she picked the needle up and the other was stuck when she removed the needle from the first girl’s hand.
Both were transported to a local hospital for tests and treatment.
The syringe will be tested to determine if any further care is required.
School and local officials will meet Wednesday to determine an appropriate response and plan of action.
“It is extremely concerning that a hypodermic needle would be so carelessly disposed of on the ground of a school, where children constantly gather, walk and play,” Superintendent of Schools Kathleen Bodie said in a statement. “We are instructing facilities staff at all of our buildings to conduct extensive and scheduled searches of the grounds and perimeters to ensure that if anything else is out there, that it is immediately and safely disposed of.”
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