Health | Hospital rejects accusations of delay from patient’s family

The Health Bureau (SSM) has responded to an accusation from a patient’s family that the Hospital Conde S Januario did not provide timely treatment.
“The clinical condition of this patient has been properly monitored by CHCSJ and there was no delay in her treatment,” the bureau replied in a statement this week.
This statement from the health authorities came in response to comments from the family of a female patient, who had used an electronic platform to accuse the hospital of delaying her treatment.
The SSM also stated that the decision of sending patients for medical treatment abroad is always “dependent on the professional decision of specialist physicians, in compliance with the needs and status of the patient and in accordance with the strict standards set by law.”
The bureau added that it “understands the impatience of the patient and family, acknowledging also that the patient possesses the right to choose which medical institution should perform the surgery.”
In the statement, the bureau added that the patient’s family members have been calling for the patient to undergo a surgical procedure in Hong Kong, instead of the planned surgery today in the Public Hospital.
The SSM said that since childhood, the patient has suffered from a tumor in the soft tissues of her leg, and that several medical procedures had been carried out previously, including a number of surgeries in mainland China.
Aside from her treatments in mainland China, the patient has reportedly been in the care of the CHCSJ Oncology Service, which recently decided that since there were no signs of a relapse, the patient’s next surgery would be carried out by the CHCSJ Plastic Surgery Service, meaning that the patient would not need to go abroad for her procedure this time.
“The plan was communicated to the family of the patient. However, the family continued to request for the procedure to be done in Hong Kong and have not responded to the booking of the surgery in the CHCSJ,” SSM claimed, adding that the hospital is hopeful that the family will still contact the institution for proper treatment of the patient.  RM