Date: 30 November 2024
By Ottrangknews
A heartbroken daughter, Malathy a/p Vendasalam (IC: 850206-14-5602), has come forward to share the painful experience of her mother falling into a vegetative state due to negligence at a government hospital. Despite raising concerns with medical staff multiple times, the warning signs about her mother’s symptoms were ignored, leading to tragic consequences.
Chronology of Events:
28 August 2024: The patient, who was experiencing chest discomfort, was referred to a government hospital. While there, her heart stopped, and she underwent CPR before being admitted to the ward. After a week, she was discharged and scheduled for follow-up treatment at another hospital over a month later.
5 September 2024: A few days after returning home, the patient had difficulty breathing and was admitted to a second hospital. Despite showing clear signs of a stroke, such as vision disturbances and confusion, hospital staff ignored these symptoms and did not perform a CT scan, even after repeated requests from the daughter.
12 September 2024: The patient collapsed and was transferred to the CCU, where a CT scan revealed a major stroke. The delay in diagnosis and treatment led to the patient being left unresponsive and in a vegetative state.
Allegations Against the Hospital:
The daughter highlighted several instances of negligence and systemic issues at the hospital:
1. Failure to Diagnose: For more than a week, medical staff ignored symptoms that clearly pointed to a stroke, ultimately causing irreversible damage.
2. Weak Communication: Critical developments, such as the progression of bedsores, were not communicated to the family.
3. Rudeness and Unprofessionalism: Some nurses and doctors exhibited rude behavior, with one nurse even removing their name tag during an argument.
4. Lack of Resources and Accountability: Requests for basic amenities, such as blankets, were denied, and the handling of medical equipment when discharging the patient was poorly managed.
A Daughter’s Struggle:
Malathy, the sole caregiver for both of her parents, now faces both emotional and financial burdens as she cares for her bedridden mother. With her father also dealing with health problems, she expressed deep frustration over the lack of support and accountability from the hospital.
A Call for Change:
Although Malathy has refrained from disclosing the name of the hospital or the identities of the involved staff members, she urges systemic reform:
Better training for nurses and doctors, especially in identifying and treating strokes.
Improved communication protocols with the patient’s family.
Better resource allocation to address shortages of beds and essential supplies.
Hope Amid Despair:
Malathy’s determination is evident in her appeal for others to be more vigilant and proactive when dealing with medical institutions. “I hope no one else has to go through what my mother and our family have endured. May this tragedy serve as a lesson to save other lives,” she said.
Ottrangknews Stands with the Victims:
Ottrangknews calls on the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) to thoroughly investigate this case and ensure such negligence does not happen again. We support patient rights and accountability within Malaysia’s healthcare system.
For more information on this case and other health stories, stay tuned to Ottrangknews.
“At Ottrangknews, we always respect government hospitals and their staff, including doctors. However, certain situations that arise can be frustrating. We hope that both the hospital management and patients can understand the real situation, balancing hospital constraints with patient rights.”