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The South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) acknowledged that it has received a formal letter of complaint from relatives of 63-year-old Carol Joseph-Alexander, who recently died at the Point Fortin Area Hospital.
Her two adult daughters have accused staff of inhumane treatment, saying Joseph-Alexander might have lived if the staff had listened to her pleas while in their care.
A media release on Tuesday from SWRHA said it noted a report in Newsday’s newspaper, which described the experience of its “valued patient who received care” at the hospital.
It said a preliminary investigation had already been commissioned to understand the circumstances in the matter. The authority extended condolences to the bereaved family.
“The findings, as well as a detailed report, will be shared with the relatives.
“The SWRHA continues to invite our patients to utilise the customer service centre at 87-SWRHA (877-9742), for any matter in relations to healthcare.”
Relatives said Joseph-Alexander died at about 3.15 am on January 24 at the hospital in Clifton Hill after waiting hours on a chair for a second triage.
An autopsy report found that the grandmother of five, a former TTPost worker, died of a heart attack.
Vearle and her sister Candace Joseph told Newsday they wanted their mother's death investigated so that no one has to go through such a traumatic experience.
The sisters lost their father – Joseph-Alexander's ex-partner, Vishnu Achaibar – in October also to a heart attack.
Joseph-Alexander, who lived at Francis Village, went to the hospital midday on January 23 complaining about chest pains. Staff discharged her at about 9 pm, and as she was walking out began vomiting.
The sisters said they alerted staff who, instead of helping, became aggressive.
Dr Anand Chatoorgoon, a former medical director at San Fernando General Hospital, called for the SWRHA to put in place a system that would enable patients to in touch with senior officials who could help them when something went wrong.
He said, to allow patients to have problems addressed immediately, he had posted his phone number on the hospital walls.
“When I was removed as medical director, that idea (to have his personal number on the wall) was scuttled,” he said by phone on Tuesday.
Chatoorgoon claimed that other hospital officials said future medical directors might not want to put their numbers on the walls. They replaced his number with 87-SWRHA.
He charged that senior officials should be “contactable, reachable and accessible” to the public.
“Many people do not know who to call and complain to so they come to you (the media). The SWRHA has failed to put proper system whereby patients can have immediate redress.
“Customer relation officers, because of the system's hierarchy, cannot compel the doctors or nurse to see the patients. In this case, the nurse was less than kind. Who could the daughters turn to for help at that hour? This lady died after 3 am.”
Chatoorgoon said patients were at the mercy of the doctors, nurses and staff though the hospitals belong to the patients.
Former SWRHA chairman, Dr Lackram Bodoe also weighed in on the death in a media release on Tuesday.
“The attitude of the attending nurses, as reported, leaves much to be desired and speaks to the need to treat with the few who continue to sully the name of the profession and sabotage the otherwise good work of the great majority of nurses in TT.
“It is inexcusable that in any emergency department, a patient could be allowed to collapse while awaiting a second triage.”
Bodoe, the Fyzabad MP, said it was obvious that the public health system failed Joseph-Alexander and citizens deserve better.
He called on Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh to investigate the circumstances of the death urgently.
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