‘My father could still be alive’

A family in Sarawak has blamed the poor healthcare management system and the lack of medical facilities and personnel for the death of a family member.

KUCHING: The lack of urgency, a series of deferred medical appointments by the Sarawak General Hospital Heart Centre (SGH) and the inadequate facilities at the Sri Aman hospital has resulted in the death of a 53-year-old father.

Family members of Tan Ting Hui are blaming both hospitals and their poor healthcare management and patient liaison system for their father’s death.

Tang’s son, Chong Kern, told FMT that his father had to wait nearly 11 months for an operation which never came.

“If the operation had been performed earlier my father would still be alive today,” he said.

His father passed away on July 21 in Sri Aman Hospital.

Relating the carousel of changing appointments his father had to endure, Chong Kern said: “We brought our father to SGH on July 19, 2010.

“But he was discharged on July 23 while waiting for an operation to be scheduled.

“The operation was then scheduled for Aug 16, 2010. But when the time came they postponed the operation.

“They said there was a problem with his blood system.

“So we waited for another date.”

Tang was in SGH waiting for his new appointment when he requested to go home because he was home sick.

SGH then discharged him.

“On June 27, 2011 we followed up with another appointment with SGH heart centre.

“After waiting for more than three weeks, he was scheduled for an operation on July 19. We were informed on June 18.

“At 6am on July 19, when everything was ready, the nurse told us the operation had to be postponed because the doctor was unwell,” said Chong Kern.

He said the family then seeked for the operation to be done on July 20, but received no news.

Ill-equipped hospital

In the meantime Tan returned home. He was later told to report for another appointment at the hospital on Aug 3.

“On July 21 my father was very ill and we brought him to Sri Aman Hospital.

“The Sri Aman Hospital could not help as the hospital was ill-equipped, and there was no doctor to immediately look after him.

“There was only a medical assistant who had to phone Kuching to ask what to do.

“My father passed away at 11.41 am on July 21 while at the hospital,” Chong Kern said.

Chong Kern claimed his father was not given proper treatment and asked why was he discharged when his father had complained of chest pains three times.

“It seems that there is no proper management and system.

“We do not want an apology from the hospital nor do we want to sue the hospital for the way it treated my father.

“But we want to tell the general public that despite the hospital having a five-star heart centre, the (healthcare) system and management leaves much to be desired,” he said.

When the RM400 million SGH Heart Centre was opened on Jan 16, 2011, it was proclaimed to be the most advanced in this region, providing world class treatment.

It has 60 beds with 500 staff.

Prof Dr Sim Kui Hian was the first to head the heart centre, but resigned in April 2011 before the state election. He was defeated by DAP Violet Yong in the Pending constituency.