NUH Accused Of Giving Poor Care To Elderly Woman, Incident Under Investigation

NUH Faces Allegations Of Patient Poor Care From Woman

At hospitals, we expect those suffering from illnesses and injuries to be taken care of with the requisite attention afforded.

But given the current situation at hospitals with the pandemic ongoing, it is a difficult time on the frontlines.

Unfortunately, for a patient warded at National University Hospital (NUH) post-op, she fell 2 separate times.

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The patient’s daughter has alleged that nurses didn’t take adequate care of her, leading to her falls. She also alleged that the patient was disrespected and insulted.

In response, NUH is investigating the cause of the incident and arranged for the patient to be monitored closely.

The spokesperson has also apologised for the family’s experience and said it is in close contact to provide support.

Woman alleges lack of care from NUH nurses

On 29 Oct, an individual named “Fei Fei” on Facebook posted about her mum’s experience at National University Hospital.

She shared that her mum is recovering from artery surgery.

However, 3 incidents allegedly occurred during her recovery in hospital:

1. The patient fainted in the toilet and took a fall as a result. The nurse purportedly “just stood there and did not hold on to her”.
2. She was allegedly disrespected and insulted by a nurse. The patient was reportedly forced to finish her dinner and was told off by her, who apparently said, “if you are not happy… can just go home”.
3. She took a fall when going to the toilet without any help. The nurse apparently said that the movement sensor device had low battery and wasn’t informed that the patient got out of bed.

Fei Fei shared images of the aftermath of the 2nd fall she took.

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Her mum had also lost several teeth due to the fall. Fei Fei described the feeling of seeing her state as “like (knives) stabbing” on her heart.

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Fei Fei also accused some nurses of not being empathetic, sympathetic or attentive to her mum.

Netizens provide context and urge for calm

The pictures and post tell a stark story where the nurses appear inattentive and rude to the patient.

Some netizens condemned the nurses for allowing the patient to get to that state.

Many more wished her a speedy recovery.

However, others also spoke up, and one comment provided context of what a nurse might go through in such a situation.

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Others also urged for calm and to wait for investigations to be completed.

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NUH investigating incident after allegations by woman

An NUH spokesperson told MS News that it is investigating the incident.

The hospital has met the patient’s family to address their concerns as well.

The spokesperson said they are sorry for the family’s experience and are in close contact to provide support.

This is the statement in full:

We are aware of a Facebook post about a patient who fell and sustained injury in our ward. We have met the patient’s family after the incident to address their concerns and are investigating the cause of the incident. Patient care remains our top priority and we have arranged for the patient to be monitored closely. We are sorry for the experience of the family and are in close contact with them to provide support.

Wait for investigations to be concluded

The Covid-19 pandemic has put untold stress on the healthcare system, and there’s no doubt that nurses on the frontline are feeling this stress as well.

As we know, nurses face severe work issues, with many suffering from overwork and lack of rest. Some empathy is due on all sides.

As a result of the increase in patients due to Covid-19, it’ll likely affect the care of other patients as well.

It’s unfortunate for the patient and their family that such an incident has occurred. We wish the patient a speedy recovery from her injuries and the requisite care afforded to her as with all patients.

However, it is difficult to ascertain what happened without the facts being established on all sides. We urge that the public not speculate until then.

We hope that the case is investigated thoroughly and that steps can be taken to prevent such incidents from happening again.

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Featured image adapted from Facebook and Google Maps.