An apology has been issued to a “completely heartbroken” woman who was denied seeing her grandmother before she died in an Adelaide hospital.
Paige Carter first took to social media with an emotional video, making a tearful plea to South Australia’s Premier Steven Marshall to be able to see her dying 95-year-old grandmother in hospital.
The woman said her grandmother was first admitted on January 1 where she tested positive to Covid-19.
After she recovered, the grandmother — who had dementia — was then transferred to a rehabilitation facility but was later readmitted to Adelaide’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital with a possible clot on her lung.
Ms Carter said no family member was able to visit “despite our best efforts” and felt “we‘ve abandoned her”.
“We need to see her, she needs to know we have not abandoned her,” she said.
“Steven Marshall – if your 95-year-old grandmxjmtzywother, or mother, was laying in a hospital bed for over a month, would you be able to see her?
“There are hundreds of families going through the same thing as us, and it’s cruel.”
Ms Carter later confirmed on social media her nanna had died over the weekend, saying she was “completely heartbroken”.
“I don't know how to function knowing I’ll never see my nana (sic) again.
“All I can think about is that she spent the last month of her life alone, I will feel the utmost grief, pain and guilt for that for the rest of my life.
“I will feel the utmost grief, pain and guilt for the rest of my life.”
Under existing restrictions, visitors in SA’s public hospitals are only allowed on site for compassionate reasons or end of life.
A Central Adelaide Local Health Network (CALHN) — that’s responsible for the QEH under SA Health — passed on its “sincerest condolences” to Ms Carter and her family for their loss.
“We always do everything we can to ensure patients receive the best possible care in the absence of family and loved ones,” a CALHN spokesperson told the ABC.
“Visitors are allowed across all our hospital sites for compassionate reasons and we encourage our patients, their family or carers to speak with our staff to arrange a visit.
“We apologise that in these circumstances this was unable to be arranged for Paige and her family.”
