Fox 9 News photo
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The interview that aired on Fox 9 News made the rounds on social
media earlier this week. Fox News never contacted the Princes Margaret
Hospital for comment, but in the interview, Minnesota resident Jake
Beiersdorf related a horror story of being “butchered” and “gutted”
during a routine appendectomy at the Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in
Nassau in January of this year, leaving him with a foot long scar.
He
said that when he visited doctors at home in Minnesota, he was told
that his appendix was intact and perfectly healthy. Beiersdorf further
alleged that the hospital was filthy, that he was placed in a room with
15 other patients and that his dressing was changed in a broom closet.
The American tourist was visiting the island Paradise when he fell ill.
The public hospital wasted no time in responding to the story. In its
response the Medical Chief of Staff Dr. James Johnson suggested that Mr.
Beiersdorf’s account of the story was inaccurate beyond the date of
arrival at PMH and denied the doctors at the facility “butchered” Mr.
Beiersdorf, stating that “the care provided was consistent with
international standards and best practices.”
After arriving at
the hospital on 7th January, “the patient was assessed and treated on
arrival and later admitted to hospital for surgical intervention” said
Dr. Johnson.
“At surgery the condition was consistent with the
preoperative diagnosis. The care provided was consistent with
international standards and best practice” continued Johnson.
He
added that Mr. Beiersdorf appeared completely satisfied with the quality
of care received during his five-day hospital stay and to date the
Public Hospital Authority (PHA) has not received a verbal or written
complaint relative to this matter.
“There is no indication that
he was dissatisfied” said Dr. Johnson and “to date, the Public Hospital
Authority (PHA) has received no verbal or written complaints relative to
this matter.”
Dr. Johnson, who spoke in general terms, pointed
out that due to legal reasons, the hospital was unable to release
details of Mr. Beiersdorf’s medical information without his written
approval. PMH was therefore very restricted and guarded in what they
could reveal in their response to Fox News.
(*This is an excerpt from This Week in the Bahamas Commentary)
