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Elderly Patient Left on Stretcher for 64 Hours
21 Nov
Summary
- A 99-year-old woman waited 64 hours for a hospital bed.
- The patient experienced fluid on the lungs and pressure sores.
- Hospital cited extreme activity and bed shortages.
A nearly centenarian woman endured an agonizing 64-hour wait on an emergency room stretcher at Charles-Nicolle University Hospital in Rouen, France. Admitted on a Friday evening for acute pulmonary edema, the 99-year-old pensioner, known affectionately as Manou, did not receive a hospital bed until Monday afternoon.
During her extended stay in the emergency department, her granddaughter observed concerning pressure on her heels, necessitating regular repositioning and massage. The family also noted insufficient meal provisions for patients. The hospital's medical staff, though apologetic, were reportedly overwhelmed by the high volume of patients and a critical lack of available beds.
The hospital attributed the unusually long wait times to an exceptionally busy weekend, exacerbated by a seasonal epidemic surge and significant pressure on bed availability throughout local facilities. The granddaughter publicly appealed to France's president and health minister to address such systemic issues, underscoring the vulnerability of elderly patients in overwhelmed healthcare systems.
