Robert says the treatment given to his son at Monash Medical Centre was not good enough.
By Melissa Meehan
A NARRE Warren resident was shocked and utterly disappointed to read about Ronald Cutler’s plight in the News last week.
Mr Cutler was scheduled to go under the knife at Monash Medical centre last Thursday after his heart surgery had been delayed several times.
Narre Warren man Robert, who did not want his surname published, said he was in disbelief after his six-year-old son experienced a similar situation at the same hospital.
On 29 October Robert’s son had a standard tonsillectomy procedure without complications at a private hospital.
He stayed at the hospital overnight and after a check-up, medication and advice was released on the following day.
Complications arose more than a week later, when his son started to bleed from his throat.
“At around 9pm Friday night he started bleeding,” Robert said.
“It gushed from his mouth initially and then his nose as well. We rang the specialist for advice and called an ambulance.”
The ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist then advised Robert of the seriousness of the complications and told him to take his son to Clayton’s Monash Medical Centre as there would be paediatric and ENT specialists on hand if emergency surgery was necessary.
An ENT specialist examined Robert’s son and said if the boy’s throat continued to bleed surgery would be needed immediately.
“We stayed in the ward until Sunday afternoon,” Robert said.
“The same ENT specialist checked on my son’s progress a number of times and we were discharged with medication and recommendation back to our specialist.”
On Sunday evening, the boy’s throat started bleeding again.
“We rang our specialist and he advised us to go back to Monash Clayton immediately,” Robert said.
On arrival, Robert said the paediatrician on duty advised him and his wife staff would operate on their son.
“She said that there could be a clot and if it moved into his lungs it was a very serious situation,” Robert said.
“We were prepared for surgery by the anaesthetist. She advised us that theatre one was in use so they had to open a second theatre.”
While Robert and his family waited for the theatre to be opened, his son’s throat stopped bleeding and the ENT specialist decided surgery was no longer needed.
“It seemed like it was a big effort to open another theatre because it was a weekend,” Robert said.
Robert’s son was again discharged on Monday afternoon, without consultation from an ENT specialist.
“While driving home at 5.45pm his throat started bleeding again, but we thought we could do what the hospital did at home,” Robert said.
At 8pm the boy’s throat started to bleed more vigorously, and Robert then contacted his son’s specialist asking him to call the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) and make them aware of his son’s condition.
Soon after arriving at the RCH an ENT specialist examined the boy and told Robert they would operate immediately.
“We were then advised that our son was the number one priority at the hospital and that his surgery was imminent and had to be done immediately,” Robert said.
“After the surgery we were advised that the surgery was a necessity – the bleeding could have never stopped on its own.”
Robert said he and his wife were angered by the actions of Monash Medical Centre.
“They knew the seriousness of the situation but played waiting games with our son’s life,” Robert said.
When Robert’s son was finally well enough to leave the hospital he was afraid to go home.
“He was scared that he would bleed again and die. We had to convince him that the doctor had fixed him and it wouldn’t happen again,” Robert said.
Siva Sivarajah, the executive director acute services at Southern Health, which operates Monash Medical Centre, said Robert’s son was clinically assessed and the care provided by the medical specialists was appropriate.
“We accept that it is difficult when a child is hospitalised, and we sympathise with the child and his family, however, we acted in the best interests of the patient at all times,” Mr Sivarajah said.
