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Exclusive: Elderly Perth woman’s turmoil highlights need for hospital interpreters

Simon Beaumont
Article image for Exclusive: Elderly Perth woman’s turmoil highlights need for hospital interpreters

Serious concerns about treatment protocols at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital have been revealed after the death of an elderly Italian grandmother recently treated there.

The Italian-speaking patient wasn’t provided with an interpreter to explain her care – and when she became distressed, she was sedated.

‘Mary’ told Liam Bartlett on 6PR Mornings her 91-year-old mum was admitted to hospital for an eye issue but was soon seen as a problem patient when she couldn’t understand staff, who held down against her will and administered morphine.

“I think they just take the easy way out … subdue her,” Mary told the program, as she revealed her mother was not given an interpreter but rather “language boards’, which were ineffective.

Ethnic Communities Council WA president Suresh Rajan said it was essential interpreters were used whenever communication between the hospital and a patient was unclear, and the hospital shouldn’t have left it up to a family member to explain what was happening.

“As Mary’s just told you, every time something [serious] came up, she was kicked out of the room,” he said.

WA Health says work has since been done to involve interpreters in the early stages of admission – and has maintained the elderly patient received expert clinical care.

Tap PLAY below to more on this disturbing story.

Simon Beaumont
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