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In the early hours of the morning, a couple who were taking their son to the children’s emergency (CE) at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH) wondered which way to go.
Juliana Goh shared the difficulties she faced in trying to locate the emergency department on August 24: Her son had lost consciousness after complaining of a headache and elevated heart rate.
They went to the entrance with the most prominent signage, but it turned out to be Urgent Obstetrics and Gynecology Center, he wrote in a Facebook post on Sept. 16.
A nurse placed the 11-year-old in a wheelchair and rushed him to the EC, which was about two minutes away.
By then, doctors couldn’t find the boy’s pulse and had to resuscitate him, Goh said.
She shared photos of the hospital driveway showing how visitors could bypass the emergency department sign and pointed out how the CE entrance was blocked by a security barrier and hidden behind a store.
https://www.facebook.com/goh.juliana/posts/10158135391783692/
Goh also faced other problems after her son was taken into custody in the children’s intensive care unit (UCIC).
“The whole experience was horrible and painful, there was just no empathy,” he said.
Although both she and her husband were registered as caregivers, only one person was allowed in the room at a time. For the other to enter, the system required a manual override, he said.
When they received the doctor’s call in the early morning of September 2, the couple rushed back to the ICU, but were stopped at the door due to restrictions. The eager parents only managed to get in after a security guard used his own pass to grant access to one of them.
His son died later that night.
The mother of two, who is a senior customer experience design consultant, suggested that a different workflow should be designed for ICU patients and their caregivers.
“I don’t want other caregivers to encounter similar painful experiences while already worrying about their loved ones.
KKH revises directional signage to improve orientation
In response to AsiaOne’s inquiries, Alson Goh, KKH’s chief operating officer, said the hospital had reached out to the patient’s family to address their concerns.
“We deeply appreciate Ms. Goh’s feedback. KKH is conducting a review to improve our directional signage leading to the hospital and around the EC to further facilitate orientation.”
He also explained that greater measures have been put in place for the safe handling of patients and visitors since the start of the pandemic in Singapore. All measures, including visitation policy, are in line with existing Covid-19 guidelines.
“While we made exceptional provisions for CICU visits in light of the condition of Ms. Goh’s son, we recognize that our communication can be improved.”
KKH added that they will stay in touch to provide more support to the patient’s family.
