According to an article by AsiaOne, an elderly woman who was residing at a transitional care facility in Raffles Hospital prior to her transfer to a nursing home experienced a fall in the toilet, leading to injuries and a hospital stay.
Tang Chee Mun, 83, suffered bruises and a cut on her face after the fall, prompting a transfer to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) for further treatment.
Son-in-law was informed of the incident
According to Tang’s son-in-law, Shah Nazir, he received a call from the care facility on March 17, informing him of the fall.
Tang, who has been diagnosed with brain cancer, dementia, Sjögren’s syndrome, as well as liver and kidney issues, was found to have a 2.5 cm cut above her left eye and was bleeding heavily due to her medication. A doctor at the facility contacted an ambulance, and Tang was taken to TTSH.
Upon visiting his mother-in-law at the hospital, Shah noticed that she was experiencing pain in her rib cage, back, and toes.
Filed a complaint with Raffles Hospital’s senior manager, claimed responses lacked empathy
Frustrated with the situation, Shah, who also cares for his 11-year-old daughter who has cancer, filed a complaint with the senior manager at Raffles Hospital.
Unfortunately, he felt that the response was inadequate and lacked empathy.
“Their responses were poor and there was little empathy shown. They didn’t update me about my mother-in-law’s condition, or ensure that she was being cared for in TTSH,” Shah stated.
However, in a more recent update, Shah shared that Tang’s condition is improving and that his son and he have been visiting her at the hospital. They are also awaiting the results of her X-ray and CT scan.
Raffles Hospital expresses regret
Raffles Hospital has since reached out to Shah to address the matter.
In response to media queries, a spokesperson from Raffles Hospital stated that although necessary precautions were taken, the incident was unfortunate.
“Our nurse had accompanied Tang to the toilet when she suddenly fell forward. Despite our nurse’s best efforts to help Tang break her fall, she was unable to do so fully to prevent the unfortunate incident,” the spokesperson said.
The hospital has expressed its commitment to providing Tang with the necessary support to assist in her recovery.
Image source: Shah Nazir