Elderly woman in 'awful' wait for surgery
Updated
90-year-old Jean Rodwell was fit and well before she broke her leg.
The Victorian Government has apologised to a 90-year-old woman who has been waiting for four days for surgery to her broken leg.
Jean Rodwell from the Melbourne suburb of Keysborough fell over in her home on Monday and broke her leg.
She has since been in the Dandenong Hospital for four days, fasting and waiting for surgery.
Her family says the wait has been devastating.
Her grand-daughter, Deborah Corrigan, says her grandmother was healthy and active until her fall.
She says that watching her grandmother's condition deteriorate in hospital has been awful.
"It's been absolutely horrific," Ms Corrigan said.
"We all thought she would be operated on every day," she said.
"But on day two she started getting delirious and going downhill rapidly," Ms Corrigan said.
The family spoke to the media about their grandmother's plight today.
The Health Minister, Daniel Andrews, says the situation will be remedied.
"I am very sorry about any distress that has been caused to this patient and her family," he said.
"I am advised from Dandenong Hospital today that these are clinical decisions, but that Jean will get her surgery today," he said.
He says more critical patients had to be treated first.
"I don't think it is fair to say that senior Victorians are given second class care, that's not my experience," the Minister said.
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