By SANCHESKA BROWN
Tribune Staff Reporter
sbrown@tribunemedia.net
A MINNESOTA man said he is “lucky to be alive”, alleging that doctors at the Princess Margaret Hospital “gutted” him like a fish to remove his appendix, which he later found out was “perfectly healthy”, according to international reports.
When contacted about the allegations, Judy Terell, communications manager at the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) said: “We are aware of the report and we are investigating.”
She offered no further comment.
In an interview with American television station Fox 9, Jake Beiersdorf said his nightmare began in January when he came to the Bahamas to work in an annual poker tournament. Days later, he said he began to feel “excruciating pain in his lower right side,” and was rushed to PMH.
There, Mr Beiersdorf claimed, he was made to wait for 14 hours in a filthy room before doctors told him the pain was coming from his appendix. He said doctors gave him anaesthesia, and operated.
However, the Bloomington resident said when he wakened, he found an incision more than a foot long, from his breastbone to the top of his groin, that ran vertically through the centre of his body.
“I freaked out,” he told Fox 9. “Because they told me the entire time I was there that I would be fine, and my appendix was out.”
He said he was also surprised by the look of the incision.
“They did like 12 stitches. And then there was an inch between each of them. It’s not the prettiest picture. They said this was normal. I was like this is not normal.”
Mr Beiersdorf alleged that doctors told him the large incision was needed because his “appendix burst” and they needed to “clean out” his insides.
He also claimed that doctors gave him about “13 loosely sewn, superficial epidermal stitches,” for an incision he later found out required around 45 staples.
He also alleged that he spent four days in a disgusting room with about 15 people and his “bedding was never changed.”
Following his hospital stay, Mr Beiersdorf said he spent five days in his hotel room and returned to the hospital once more to get discharge papers and have his bandages changed.
“They changed my dressing in a storage closet. Not kidding,” he told Fox 9. “It was full of boxes, paperwork. He cleaned out one of the old tables that was in there for me to lay on.”
He told the American news station that a friend got him first class air tickets to return to Minnesota, but said during the trip he felt like “my entire stomach was going to fall out.”
Back in Minnesota, Mr Beiersdorf said he went from the airport to the emergency room at Fairview Southdale where doctors operated on him to determine what happened to his body in the Bahamas.
“They came and told me my appendix was still inside of me when they opened me up,” he said, adding that he was told the organ was healthy but was still removed by American doctors.
He also claimed that his Minnesota doctors told him that he had not been properly stitched in the Bahamas and added around forty staples.
“They just stitched my outside with 12, 13 stitches. Whatever it was,” he told Fox 9. “They mangled my muscle layer.”
“I can’t lift anything. I can’t do anything. I mean showering (is) a trip itself because I still have bandages on. But it’s been rough. Very rough.”
According to the report, Mr Beiersdorf did not go to a private hospital because he claimed it would cost $5,000 to be admitted.
He has also claimed that his insurance company will not cover some of his medical costs. He has since set up a Go Fund Me page to raise money.
Up to press time, the page had raised $2,039 of a requested $15,000.
Comments
Honestman 8 years, 1 month ago
"They came and told me my appendix was still inside of me when they opened me up,” he said, adding that he was told the organ was healthy but was still removed by American doctors."
According to Guardian Radio, sources at PMH are saying this is totally untrue and that the appendix WAS removed and is still in the possession of the hospital.
Islandgirl 8 years, 1 month ago
This will be interesting. Hopefully all the records are where they should be and not "lost" somewhere in the hospital, or out of the hospital. Good luck. NHI they say?
dahasamo 8 years, 1 month ago
And then who paid? He chose PMH over Doctor's because he has no money and the story rings false in the extreme. If the appendix is still here, maybe he is an anomaly and had two??
Sickened 8 years, 1 month ago
Please let us know which doctor in The Bahamas did the surgery.
Publius 8 years, 1 month ago
Interesting...
Meanwhile, why hasn't the Bahamian media done a single piece of investigation on this story? Someone sending you something on whatsapp and telling you to "say this" is not investigation, and there is much about this story that warrants actual journalism. All the Tribune did here was transcribe the Fox news report.
themessenger 8 years, 1 month ago
Spot on Publius, but then that would be the job of an investigative news reporter, a rare breed these days as most of today's media are news repeaters.................................
TalRussell 8 years, 1 month ago
Comrades I am going help you understand this story and how to recognize when lies leaves behind clearly recognizable paths - if you rally want to seek it out.
There are always three sides to these types stories, that of the foreigners complaining about how bad they were treated while in Bahamaland - matters not if they were here as a legal or not - the reporters with their laziness (evil, intentional intent) to not dig deep before rushing to press whilst not wanting to organize the most outlandish claims, and to uncover the path leading to the truth.
There just happens to be a "Go Fund Me" account that already raised over $2654 out of the $15,00 goal, for this Minnesotaian.
Minister Freddy, we's got one more to type onto that "Stop, Do Not Allow The Bearer This Picture to Enter Bahamaland List."
paul_vincent_zecchino 8 years, 1 month ago
Why doesn't this account ring true? Is it the many omissions? The far-fetched, gruesome details? A foot long incision with sutures every inch? Really? Remarkable.
Why do no other reports of similar malpractice exist?
What, if not the appendix, cause his reported severe pain?
What, if any, medical misadventures occurred with this individual subsequent to his return home?
Who performed the surgery, as others above, ask?
The questions write themselves after a while, don't they?
OMG 8 years, 1 month ago
Having had a so called private room at PM H there is room to support his allegations. My room was dirty, a non working shower, sheets never changed, inedilble food with milk that was sour,a sink that leaked on to the floor, no bedside light and a night nurse who was unable to recognise an asthma attack. Added to which my letter to hospital management was completely ignored. Don't blame the nursing staff just incompetent management
SP 8 years, 1 month ago
........................................... PMH Private Ward Care Surprising! ...........................................
A family member recently found themselves in need of medical care at PMH private ward, and I for one was very surprised at the level of cleanliness, care and service they delivered.
Let the investigation be completed. This man is probably just a low life gold digger trying to make a quick buck.
banker 8 years, 1 month ago
It's awfully hard to fake stitches and staples.
John 8 years, 1 month ago
If his appendix burst as was indicated, the staff at PMH may have saved his life, despite the ugly scars and stitching. The hospital indicated that the large incision was necessary to clean out the abdominal cavity after the intestine ruptured. But the patient claims his appendix was still intact and healthy when he was operated on by other doctors on his return home, "adding that he was told the organ was healthy but still removed by American doctors.". Seems like this man is suing the wrong people.
John 8 years, 1 month ago
If his appendix burst as was indicated, the staff at PMH may have saved his life, despite the ugly scars and stitching. The hospital indicated that the large incision was necessary to clean out the abdominal cavity after the intestine ruptured. But the patient claims his appendix was still intact and healthy when he was operated on by other doctors on his return home, "adding that he was told the organ was healthy but still removed by American doctors.". Seems like this man is suing the wrong people. But yes the wait time at the A&E is too long over 13 hours on average. The place is just too small and doctors and support staff are overwhelmed, especially because of the number of stabbing and shoot victims being treated there. Recently a sewerage pipe burst in the A&E with over 25 patients being treated or recovering. Despite the janitorial and plumbing staff responding immediately the situar became unbear for many, especially after the stench of toilet water was picked up by the a/c system. Government or hospital staff may need to consider separating the accident and trauma section from the general emergency. This will not only cut down on the wait time for general patients, but also seoerate them from the trauma of accident victims and patients suffer from shootings or stabbings and the possibility that persons may enter the hospital seeking to do more harm to patients being treated.
John 8 years, 1 month ago
The government,s position is that it does not have money for a new hospital. My suggestion is that it builds a new hospital as an eight to twelve year project rather than trying to complete it as a one shot deal. The main thing is identifying property that is large enough and has all the other attributes to successfully accommodate a hospital. Accessibility, immune from flooding, minimal impact from hurricane and security issues. Then the facility can be constructed over an 8 - 12 or even f15 year period. They can start with, let's say Trauma and Emergency care with pharmacy, recover rooms outpatient care and ancillary services. Then add on let's sat male and female medical wards and children's ward in the second phase, then surgical wards and additional operating thearters in the next phase and so on and so forth until there is a fully operational state of the art health care facility that is fully functional and has the capacity to handle the demands of a modern Bahamas. Of course during the various stages of construction provisions will have to be made for renovations and upgrades to existing facilities. The greatest fear of many Bahamians is that a government tries to construct a new hospital in a one shot deal and ends up in a situation similar to Bah Mar or even the extension at PMH or the incomplete constr at Sabdilands that was started some five years ago,
themessenger 8 years, 1 month ago
If the money supposedly being allocated for NHI was redirected a new hospital certainly could be built. Just leave the Bahamas government, Exim Bank and CCA out of the equation.
jamesg30 8 years, 1 month ago
New Hospital? How about a new surgeon? That suture job looked horrible. And to think they did not close the subcutaneous layer at all. Take this person's scalpel away.
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