Heart patients missing healthcare at PMGH

 I AM a relative of a patient who died in Port Moresby General Hospital this year from post stroke complications as a result of heart disease.

I have seen many patients dying from preventable stroke complications like aspiration pneumonia and bed sores in that ward while caring for my late dad who died from aspiration, which I now know was a preventable complication because appropriate stroke care was not given in PMGH medical ward. 

The nurses in the general medical wards have told me that they cannot care adequately as required by international standard for stroke patients because firstly they are not trained in stroke nursing and secondly their numbers were too few to accommodate demands of stroke patients. 

None of national physicians working in PMGH are specialised in stroke medicine and the hospital does not have a stroke ward to specifically care for its stroke patients.

What amazes me is that PMGH released its daily commentaries in this newspaper last week educating people on stroke prevention, recognition and care. 

Stroke in my understanding from my reading, requires rapid recognition, and transfer to a stroke service delivery hospital where CT scanning and thrombolysis in acute ischaemic stroke saves lives. PMGH’s role is to provide this service for the stroke patients of this country.

Whoever in PMGH that wrote the stroke commentary should check his or her backyard the clinical care you provide for the stroke patients? 

PMGH can then move on educating the masses on how to prevent stroke and detect early signs of stroke for immediate stroke specialist care in PMGH.

Papua New Guineans are becoming more aware of their rights to better health care, education and other government services and we demand better care from  the country’s premier referral hospital.

Grieving relative

Port Moresby