86-Year-Old Tourist’s Horror Story Exposes Private Clinic’s Failures

On what should have been a relaxing holiday in Mauritius, Marie (a fictitious name), a 86-year-old tourist, arrived with her family in Grand-Baie, only to have their vacation turn into a harrowing ordeal.

While Marie was suffering from mild bronchitis, her pre-existing serious heart conditions required careful management. Unfortunately, what her family experienced in a local clinic was “nothing short of unacceptable neglect”, which nearly cost her life.

At first, the tourist’s admission to the clinic appeared to be properly handled. Upon arrival, her family made it clear to the medical team that Marie, being a heart patient, relied on seven vital medications for her survival. These were neatly organised in a pillbox, ensuring she received them correctly. Prior to the holiday, her cardiologist had stressed the critical importance of this medication regimen—there was simply no room for error.

Initially, everything seemed to go smoothly at the clinic. Each day, Marie’s family inquired about her wellbeing and double-checked that her medications were administered on schedule.

The staff consistently reassured them: “Yes, everything is fine. The medications have been given as planned.” With this reassurance, the family felt confident about Marie’s care, but that sense of calm was short-lived.

Three days after her admission, when they visited Marie, shock set in. They were informed that she had been moved to intensive care due to acute heart failure, without any prior notification from the clinic. This was troubling, especially since the family had repeatedly expressed concern about Marie’s treatment.

When they requested to see her medication records, confusion quickly turned to anger. None of the prescribed medications had been given.

For three days, the seven essential medications intended to stabilise Marie’s heart condition had been entirely overlooked. This oversight was catastrophic, particularly given the medical team was fully aware of her fragile condition and had received clear instructions from her cardiologist.

What was more troubling was the deafening silence from the clinic following this harrowing incident.

“No one from the management stepped forward to offer an apology,” reported Le Mauricien newspaper.

Clinic’s silence

Faced with such an unacceptable situation, Marie’s family demanded an investigation, “but the clinic has remained frustratingly mute”.

Now out of the hospital, Marie is in a very fragile state. Her family believes the clinic acted irresponsibly, resulting in serious consequences for her health: her condition has deteriorated, and she now requires additional treatments to address the damage done.

For Marie’s family, the situation is utterly unacceptable. Not only did the clinic fail in its duty of care, but it also neglected the urgency of informing them about the deterioration of Marie’s health.

They have called for an investigation to be initiated, not only to understand the reasons behind this negligence but also to ensure that no other lives are put at risk due to such failures in the future.

Source: Le Mauricien