Family demand answers over ill treatment at Wentworth Hospital
The frail Anthony Santana has allegedly lost 30kg, more than half his body weight, according to his family.
AN AGGRIEVED family is seeking answers from the Department of Health for the alleged maltreatment of their frail relative.
The family’s woes began on Monday, 8 February, when 71-year-old Anthony Santana was rushed to Wentworth Hospital for severe dehydration after he had not been able to eat or drink anything for two weeks.
However, according to the family, the ailing man was only seen four hours later. X-rays taken showed that he had a severe lung infection and cracked vertebra. He was sent home with just painkillers and told to return a week later.
“By Monday, 15 February, he had already lost 30kg, which was more than half his body weight. My uncle and aunt waited 14 hours at the hospital before he was admitted. This is 14 hours without food or drink. Although blood tests were done, no results or a treatment plan was discussed with the family,” said Santana’s niece, Morgan Jordaan.
She said her uncle was in excruciating pain. “After more tests were conducted on 17 February, my uncle went “missing” inside the hospital after he was moved from one ward to another.”
Morgan said the tests confirmed that her uncle had a malignant tumour in his lung. “There were no further discussions about a treatment plan.”
Because hospital visitations are prohibited, families rely on the hospital’s correspondence for updates on their loved ones. However, three days later, the family still had not been informed of the severity of Santana’s condition.
“My aunt was treated with disrespect, disregard, and aggression every time she phoned to check up on her husband. She was blocked by security at every level when she tried to see for herself what his condition is.”
“On Friday, 19 February, the attending doctor decided to give my aunt a call and said my uncle’s tests came back. He was diagnosed with TB and will have to be isolated.”
Santana was then moved to the TB ward. “By day five of being admitted to hospital, my uncle had still not received any treatment for the crippling pain from the lung infection and cracked vertebra. He was struggling to swallow and could not eat, and even had difficulty drinking water, but they wanted to give him TB tablets to swallow. At that time, he had not received any medication for dehydration or feeding through a tube.”
She further alleged that in his TB isolation and treatment ward, no nurse attended to her very frail uncle. She said the patients in the room were the ones who assisted him instead.
Her aunt questioned why he was not being treated for the cancer. She was told that the TB had to be treated first before they could treat other ailments.
Santana later contracted a severe eye infection and was allegedly given a form to sign stating that he was admitted to the hospital with this infection. He refused to sign it.
“The nurses said he got dust in his eye and they were treating it, but when my aunt arrived at the hospital with medication, the condition of his eye was shocking. By Thursday, 4 March, my uncle’s eye was still in a very bad condition. My aunt requested a meeting with the doctors on 1 March, but was told that a meeting cannot be arranged since a formal complaint was lodged by the family against the hospital,” she said.
“On Wednesday, 3 March my aunt went to visit my uncle to take some water to drink. He now looks like a pufferfish. The nurses casually informed her that his organs are shutting down, but he will be discharged on Friday, 5 March.”
“Yesterday, (Thursday, 4 March) the hospital called asking where he was because he did not collect his TB medication. He is extremely frail, has a massive tumour in his chest, his entire body is swollen up like a pufferfish because of his organs failing, and they want him to collect his medication for TB? What about cancer and organ failure? And how can the hospital lose a dying man who can not move out of his bed?” she questioned.
