Overview

A Port Coquitlam woman is demanding accountability from the Fraser Health Authority (FHA) after her father endured what she describes as appalling care at Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH). This incident adds to a growing series of troubling reports concerning the British Columbia health-care system, highlighting the urgent need for reform.

Patient's Condition and Admission

Mariah Costain’s ordeal began when her 79-year-old father, who suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema, and advanced lung cancer, was admitted to SMH late last month. Costain recounts the distressing conditions that her father faced, emphasizing a lack of support staff when he needed it the most.

Call for Help

“His call bell was out of reach, and no one was available to assist him,” Costain said. “I had to get up multiple times to ask nurses for help, but they were overwhelmed and couldn't respond quickly.” Despite her concerns, she found herself helpless while her father struggled alone in his hospital room.

Daughter's Visit

As a single mother of seven, Costain was unable to stay at the hospital immediately after her father's admission but made it a priority to visit the following day. When she arrived, she discovered him alone, gasping for breath, and in urgent need of help to reach the bathroom. “Instead of letting him suffer, I took it upon myself to assist him. I had to wheel him out in a chair, struggling to find a wheelchair in the chaos,” she said.

Incident of Neglect

In a troubling turn of events, Costain described how her father had an incident while she was helping him. “There was no nurse around when he fell into the garbage can," she recounted, her voice filled with frustration. After pleading for help and becoming understandably overwhelmed, Costain admitted to using foul language in a moment of panic, an act that was met with more concern for her behavior than for her father’s wellbeing.

Response from Nurses

“The nurse chose to reprimand me for swearing instead of attending to my father’s condition,” Costain explained. She claimed that when she started recording the disturbing scene in her father’s room, security personnel were called in to confront her rather than to assess her father's dire situation. At the time, his oxygen levels plummeted dangerously low to just 70.

Ongoing Issues with Care

Although Costain acknowledges that hospital staff are under immense pressure, she believes it's unacceptable for patients to receive such neglect. “They left him there to suffer,” she said, juxtaposing the system's failures against the expected care patients should receive.

Transfer to Another Hospital

In the days following her complaints, Costain was in contact with Fraser Health administrators, who reviewed her father's case. Despite being informed that her father might need a surgical intervention at another facility, he was later transferred to St. Paul’s Hospital without a clear treatment plan. After a brief assessment, doctors concluded that surgery would be too risky given her father’s fragile condition, leaving Costain disheartened and concerned about his future care.

Advocacy for Better Care

Now, as she navigates this challenging situation, Costain is advocating for her father to return to Surrey Memorial Hospital, highlighting the importance of reliable, compassionate care in a system that is currently grappling with significant operational issues.

Fraser Health's Response

In a brief communication, Fraser Health responded to the media, "Surrey Memorial Hospital site leadership has been in direct and ongoing contact with the family. Our Patient Care Quality Office is also in touch with them to offer support.” However, they stopped short of offering a formal apology, raising more questions about accountability in British Columbia’s health care system.

Conclusion

As families across the province voice their concerns over health care experiences, Costain's story underscores a critical need for systemic change. Will British Columbia's leaders heed these warnings, or will negligence continue to be an alarming norm in their hospitals? Only time will tell.