4:43pm Tuesday 9th February 2010
By Carl Brown
THE daughter of a cancer patient has hit out at the “war camp” conditions her father has had to endure since being admitted to Whipps Cross hospital during the norovirus outbreak.
Mohammed Ishaq, 67, of Walthamstow, was admitted last Friday for an operation to remove a tumour from his colon while the Leytonstone hospital was largely closed to prevent the spread of infection.
Mr Ishaq was originally told he would receive care at the private London Independent Hospital (LIH), in Stepney, while Whipps Cross was closed.
But he was then informed he would have the operation at Whipps Cross and Mr Ishaq would be required to spend 24 hours in intensive care because of increased risk due to a previous heart procedure.
Mr Ishaq had a successful operation on Friday and the hospital informed his daughter Soraya, of Hawker Place, Walthamstow, that he was fine.
But when Mr Ishaq's wife phoned the hospital five minutes later she was told her husband had a heart attack and was in a serious condition - before it was realised the hospital staff member had looked at the wrong patient file.
Miss Ishaq said: “My mother nearly died, she said she had never got dressed so quickly to rush out.
“They phoned back and were blasé about the mistake.”
Following the stay in intensive care Mr Ishaq was moved to Sage ward, and says Miss Ishaq, could not believe the conditions he had to live in.
She said: “He said he had never seen anything like it.
“It was overcrowded, his bed was not in a proper bay and he was cramped in between two women.
“He said it was like a Yugoslavian war camp.”
Mr Ishaq was then designated as free from norovirus and was moved to a “clean”, non-infected part of Sage Ward.
Miss Ishaq said: “He was left on his own all day.”
He has now been moved back to Primrose Ward, where Mr Ishaq feels conditions are better.
But Miss Ishaq is angry at the fact he was admitted to an infectious, closed hospital and at the way he has been treated.
In a formal letter of complaint to Whipps Miss Ishaq said: “If my father catches this virus it could seriously affect him, he has has had heart surgery and a bowel operation in two months, do you seriously think he could handle this virus too?”
Only four wards now remain closed and most visitor restrictions have been lifted.
A Whipps Cross spokeswoman said an investigation has been launched.
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