Arabic version: «إس إيه هيلث» تراجع علاج مريضة على أرضية مستشفى نورلونغا

According to ABC News, SA Health has apologised to Ginny Chalmer, 71, after she said she spent four hours on the floor of Noarlunga Hospital’s waiting room while seeking treatment for a chronic lung condition. SA Health said it would review her experience.

Ms Chalmer, a former nurse of 10 years, lives with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which causes shortness of breath and affects oxygen levels. She was diagnosed earlier this year and attended a doctor on Wednesday after her symptoms worsened following a virus. She was advised her oxygen levels were low and was taken by ambulance to the Adelaide hospital.

She said she was placed in a wheelchair in the waiting room after a paramedic deemed her “fit to sit”, despite her saying she did not think she was. Feeling unwell, she chose to lie on the floor and later asked for a blanket. Ms Chalmer said a doctor wanted to begin treatment quickly, but the hospital had no available beds. Blood tests and nasal swabs were carried out while she was on the floor.

In a statement, an SA Health spokesperson said, “We do not put patients on the floor for treatment.” The spokesperson said some eligible patients can begin treatment in waiting rooms to reduce waiting and hospital-stay times. Acting Health Minister Joe Szakacs said there was no mandate or practice to treat people on hospital floors, while adding that patient confidentiality was “non-negotiable” and would be included in the review. Liberal Opposition Health spokesperson Jack Batty called the experience “entirely unacceptable.”