The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL

Tribune Staff Reporter

jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A FAMILY claims Sandilands Rehabilitation Centre failed to tell them about their loved one’s deteriorating health and admittance to Princess Margaret Hospital, where the woman died on December 5 without the comfort or awareness of her relatives.

Public Hospitals Authority managing director Aubynette Rolle said last night she would liaise with PMH and Sandilands to understand what happened before the woman died and “engage personally with the next of kin” if required. “Praying for family during this difficult time,” she said.

Her comment to The Tribune came after Zelma Wilson said her sister, Charlotte Wilson, 45, was a resident of Sandilands since 2014 and suffered from schizophrenia.

 She said when a friend went to see Charlotte on December 5 as part of a standard visit, the friend was told authorities had been trying to reach the woman’s family. She claimed the friend was given a piece of paper with a number for the family to call.

 She said before Charlotte’s elderly mother could even come to terms with knowing that her daughter had been in the hospital since November 22, she learned Charlotte was, in fact, dead after relatives called the number on the paper and spoke to a doctor.

 “No mother, no family, should endure the unfathomable pain of being robbed and unjustly denied the fundamental right to be with their loved one during moments of distress and in their final breaths,” Ms Wilson said.

 She said the family was notified of the death in an unprofessional and insensitive way.

She said the facility gave a “feeble” explanation of what happened, adding that officials had outdated contact information.

PMH medical records they obtained showed Charlotte’s blood sugar was low.

“They said that when she was admitted, it was because she was having seizures,” Ms Wilson said. “And my sister doesn’t have a history of seizures, and then they said her blood sugar level was extremely low.”

“Only diabetics normally really have low blood sugar levels to that point. They said you would have to not eat for like days and days to achieve that level of low blood sugar level.”

Ms Wilson said Charlotte’s heart rate was also low, and she had signs of pneumonia.

She said PMH medical records showed Charlotte entered that facility in a critical state. The family now demands her medical records from Sandilands, which they have yet to see.

Ms Wilson said emails have been sent to the Ministry of Health and the PHA. She reached out to the press after failing to get a response to various letters from health officials.

“The family asserts that the current state of affairs not only falls far below the threshold of acceptability but also contradicts the core values that should govern the PHA and the organisations under their management, resulting in a severe lack of accountability and public trust,” she said. “As they navigate the holiday season, this grieving family urges the authorities to restore faith in the healthcare system and ensure that no other family experiences the profound pain they are enduring.”