Elderly woman hospitalised for over 1 month after undergoing TCM treatment 3 days prior

An elderly woman was hospitalised in the intensive care unit after going for a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) treatment three days prior.

The family of Liu, 78, are urging the clinic to disclose the contents of the medicinal paste they had used on the latter as part of their $17,000 package.

Speaking to Shin Min Daily News, Cai, 46, said that he found his mother unconscious on her bed on Nov 10 and immediately took her to the hospital.

After doctors diagnosed her with gastrointestinal bleeding, she underwent emergency surgery on the same day and was in the intensive care unit for three days. She was hospitalised for over a month.

Liu's daughter said that doctors asked the family if her mother had used Chinese medicine.

Liu's children said that they had never heard of her visiting a TCM clinic, until they discovered receipts at home that she had signed packages of over $17,000.

Cai told reporters that his mother first visited a Hougang massage parlour in September for a foot massage, but was recommended to another TCM clinic.

According to the receipt, the packages were not refundable.

Liu told Cai that on her third visit, she told the clinic she felt unwell and more tired after the treatments. The staff then used another medicinal paste to massage her back and legs.

"She said that the paste was odourless and not sticky. She suddenly felt more awake when it was applied to her back," said Cai.

Cai said that his mother fainted at home three days after her fifth visit to the clinic.

The siblings said that a doctor at the hospital told them if the medicinal paste applied to the body contains steroids, it might cause an increased amount of gastric acid and lead to gastrointestinal bleeding, ulcers and other symptoms.

Liu's daughter said that the TCM clinic refused to disclose details of the prescription on the grounds that it could not be made public.

The siblings later lodged a police report, as well as a complaint to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board and the Consumers Association of Singapore.

The siblings said Liu, who has been a vegetarian for years, had never suffered a serious illness before.

After she was hospitalised for a month, Liu is now not able to get down from the bed on her own and needs help in her daily activities.

Responding to Shin Min's queries, the Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners Board said that anyone who wants to make a formal complaint about one of the practitioners should file a complaint with a statutory declaration.

The TCM clinic said that they were in touch with the family and hoped they would provide them with relevant hospitalisation documents for a $4,000 refund.

The clinic again declined the family's request to disclose details of their prescription.

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chingshijie@asiaone.com