Woman, 83, falls during stay at Raffles Hospital, suffers bruises on face and 2.5cm cut above eye

The elderly woman had been staying at a transitional care facility in Raffles Hospital while waiting to be transferred to be a nursing home. 

But two weeks into her stay and just days before she was due to be transferred, Tang Chee Mun, 83, fell in the toilet, suffering bruises and a cut as a result.

She is now warded at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) for her injuries.

Her son-in-law, Shah Nazir, told AsiaOne last week that he received a call from the step-down care facility on March 17, informing him that Tang had fallen on her face while using the toilet that day. 

Tang - who suffers from brain cancer, dementia, Sjögren's syndrome as well as liver and kidney problems - had a 2.5cm cut above her left eye and was bleeding profusely, partly because she takes blood thinning medication. 

A doctor at the facility called an ambulance and Tang was sent to TTSH. 

When Shah, 48, visited his mother-in-law at the hospital, she complained of pain in her rib cage, back and toes. 

Upset with the incident, Shah - also a caregiver to his 11-year-old daughter who has cancer - said he filed a complaint with the senior manager at Raffles Hospital, but felt that there was no proper follow-up. 

"Their responses was poor and there was little empathy shown. They didn't update me about my mother-in-law's condition, or ensure that she was being cared for in TTSH."' 

When AsiaOne spoke to Shah on Monday (March 25), the father of two said that Tang was recovering well in the hopsital. 

"My son and I have been checking in on her. We're also waiting for her X-ray and CT scan results," he said. 

He added that Raffles Hospital has reached out to him to resolve the matter. 

In response to AsiaOne's queries, a spokesperson from Raffles Hospital said it was "unfortunate" that the incident happened despite the "necessary assistance and precautions taken". 

The nurse, the spokesperson added, had accompanied Tang to the toilet "when she suddenly fell forward".

"Despite our nurse’s best efforts to help Madam Tang break her fall, she was unable to do so fully to prevent the unfortunate incident."

The hospital said it will provide the necessary support to assist her recovery. 

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claudiatan@asiaone.com