STAFF of the Orthopaedics Ward (Ward 28) at Port Moresby General Hospital is calling for the family or relatives of an elderly patient to visit the ward immediately to assist doctors with patient care.
The elderly man who identified himself as Tau Morea, 59, from Rigo in Central Province was in a hit-and-run accident on Monday, 5th April, 2021 and was assisted by bystanders to the hospital after he couldn’t move his right lower limb.
Assistant Nurse Unit Manager (NUM) Sr. Tininwau Tamrau said social workers at the hospital were consulted to track down family members but so far no one has visited so they want use the media to notify the patient’s family that he is here.
She added that a psychiatrist was also consulted after Mr. Morea had displayed unusual behavior
“Our main concern for him now is we need the family to come so that a proper plan of care is done for him especially with the treatment of bones. We can’t let him go with his limb swollen like that. We need people to come by so they make them happy and he’s happy with what the doctors are doing and he can accept it as a patient,” explained Sr. Tamrau.
Sr. Tamrau said because of Mr. Morea’s old age, they don’t expect the fractures to heal right away and it will take time for him to fully recover.
“With this fraction of the femur, he was put on skin traction to align the fractures but he didn’t like that. He’s not seeing the importance of the skin traction. The doctors are also thinking that he might be having some kind of mental disturbance so a psychiatric doctor was consulted,” explained Sr. Tamrau.
She said in order to properly treat the patient, his family will have to come in so the doctors can talk to them and they in turn can explain to the patient the type of care and treatment he needs for his injury.
Sr. Tamrau is urging anyone who recognizes Mr. Morea or knows his family to notify them that he is a patient here at the hospital.
Nursing Officer Junior Harova who was doing his ward round on Friday afternoon said M r. Morea had given him Kl.DO with the instruction to find him a cab so he can go home to Tokarara.
“He wants to go home. He doesn’t want to st ay,” said Mr. Haro va.