An 82-year-old woman has called for Fiona Stanley Hospital to be shut down after waiting four days without food for tests but the Western Australian Health Minister says her care was correct despite not being “understood” by the patient and her family.
Joyce Tabram said she was admitted to the hospital on Monday March 30 due to abdominal swelling and had to fast before she could undergo a test to determine the cause.
She said the test was delayed each morning until Friday April 3, when she demanded to be discharged despite it not having been carried out.
“I think they should be shut down quite honestly,” she said.
“Fiona Stanley Hospital, I think it stinks that’s all I can say.”
Ms Tabram said she had lost four kilograms and now weighed 34kg.
Treatment correct: Health Minister
Health Minister Kim Hames said he was very concerned for Ms Tabram and her family, however, she would not have been fed whether the test had been carried out or not.
“Even if that test had been undertaken, she still would not have been able to have food or water by mouth because of the medical condition, so her treatment was correct,” he said.
“Even though her weight is already very low, when someone has a medical condition of the nature that she had it’s very important for them not to have any food or water by mouth.
“So she had fluid replacements intravenously and that is all that you can do – with some glucose provided as part of that – to keep some nourishment.”
Dr Hames said there appeared to have been a lack of communication to Ms Tabram and her family.
“I think it’s clearly that for whatever reason they haven’t understood or been given the full amount of information, that’s why it’s unfortunate they believe she’s been terribly treated when in fact the review of the medical notes suggests that that’s not the case,” he said.
Opposition Leader calls for inquiry
The incident is the latest in a string of issues at the hospital which opened late last year.
Opposition Leader Mark McGowan described it as “very disturbing”.
“This elderly woman could have potentially died from starvation at Fiona Stanley Hospital,” he said.
“It seems to me something very drastically wrong has gone on here and this lady was subjected to a form of torture.”
Mr McGowan said a full inquiry into the incident was needed.
“This is part of a pattern of behaviour of the management of Fiona Stanley Hospital that we have seen come to light over the last few months,” he said.
“It’s more than a coincidence that these stories are coming out everywhere.
“There seems to be a lack of coordination, a lack of effort, a lack of care by the Government in respect to the patients at Fiona Stanley Hospital.”