Unidentified patient needs relatives

A person, male about 30-40 years of age, who was run over by a hit and run vehicle on 15th July, 2020, remains paralyzed in the hospital due to brain damage from the impact of the accident

     

Port Moresby General Hospital surgical and Family Support Centre are currently appealing to the general public who are able to identify the patient to inform his relatives to claim him from the hospital.

The person, has been named as ‘Unknown Tuesday’ for the purpose of identification, simply because no one knows his real identity and since he was brought into the hospital on a Tuesday but his identity is unknown.

Since the time he was brought into the Accidents and Emergency around 9:00pm on Tuesday 15th July, until now. The hospital through its Social Works section are concerned about the wellbeing of the patient. 

Isidore Winkwuaru, Senior Medical Social Worker at the Social Works of the hospital said, in many cases when they have patients like this case within one or two weeks, his relatives are already here to take the patient, look after the person.  With this case it’s the first time now it’s going over almost two months or three months.

When the patient arrived at the A&E of Port Moresby General Hospital, he was moved to the Intensive Care Unit and later moved to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit where he remains till now.

Neuro Surgeon at the PMGH, Dr. Esther Apuahe said the patient was in the ICU for 14 days, where he was managed conservatively.

 “He was in ICU where he was basically managed conservatively, which means no operation done to him, it was just nursing care, medical care and after a week in ICU, he had a tube put into his wind pipe, so that that could help with his breathing.” He said.

So far patient care, doctors and nurses, the porters in the surgical and ICU ward have been contributing to Unknown Tuesday’s personal needs and hospital care as no relatives have come to identify him. 

“Currently he’s more responsive now he can open his eyes, he will respond to you, if you say something to him he will respond to it, he will not be able to talk because he’s got a tube in his windpipe.” Dr. Apuahe said.

The patient has features of a highlander and has responded to Engan language. He has a visible tattoo, a circle on his upper right arm. The hospital staff are very concern that the patient is vulnerable to contracting other disease and so they encourage his relatives to show up and clam the person as soon as possible.

Author: 
Frieda Kana