A St Mary woman who failed to get treatment for a broken ankle at the St Ann’s Bay Hospital after making 17 trips to that institution, received the worst news of her life last Friday when she was told that she may never be able to walk again.

Mother of six, Yvonne Freeman, said that she was told by a physiotherapist at the Kingston Public Hospital (KPH), during a clinic visit that due to the delay in operating on her ankle, it had deteriorated so badly that it was now impossible for her to move around without the help of crutches, even after corrective surgery was done at the institution more than two months ago.

Freeman, 45, did surgery at the KPH in September, five months after she broke her ankle at her home located at Belfield in the parish. The surgery at KPH followed a swift response by health minister Ruddy Spencer who upon reading of her plight in the Sunday Observer ordered the procedure for her at the KPH.

“The therapist said that I won’t be able to walk again, based on the last xray,” a distraught Freeman told the Observer yesterday.

“No other date was set for me to visit KPH again,” she said, after making another of the trips that she started on the road to what she hoped would have been full recovery, following the surgery.

“St Ann done mash me up already, they waited too long to operate. If the therapist turned me down, what can I do now” Freeman said.

The hospital’s chief executive officer (CEO) was not available for comment yesterday, but a doctor at the hospital who opted for anonymity as he was not authorised to speak publicly on medical matters, said that he was not aware of the latest development.

“I am not aware of that, but you will have to speak to the SMO (senior medical officer), or the CEO,” the doctor said.

Freeman is appealing for assistance from the Government.

“I hope that the Government can do something about it. St Ann’s Bay Hospital handled my case badly. If I didn’t go to ‘Public’ (KPH), I would have lost my foot. Is God save me,” she said.

Health Minister Ruddy Spencer told the Observer yesterday that he intends to speak with officials at the KPH later this week.

“The matter has been brought to my attention and I plan to address it when I meet with the KPH authorities either Wednesday or Thursday of this week,” Spencer said.

In the meantime, Freeman is agonising over her inability to provide for her family and shudders to think what will happen to them now, if the information given to her by the physiotherapist is to be accepted as gospel.

“I can’t do anything. I just have to be on crutches if I want to move around. My children can’t go to high school, because I cannot walk and I cannot work. Last week, one of them didn’t go for the entire week because I don’t have it (money),” she moaned.

For now, Freeman is being assisted by an older son and neighbours as she contemplates her next move and continues to rue the lack of attention by medical personnel at St Ann’s Bay Hospital.

“if the people at St Ann’s Bay Hospital knew that they couldn’t look after me, couldn’t they have sent me somewhere else? she asked.

A chronic shortage of orthopaedic personnel and equipment was said to be the main reason for the pile-up of orthopaedic cases at St Ann’s Bay Hospital, which serves as the regional medical institution for the parishes of Portland, St Mary and St Ann.

The orthopaedic department is headed by the experienced specialist Dr Derrick McDowell, whom the Observer tried unsuccessfully to reach for a comment yesterday.

“This situation is very unfortunate and I would not want any patient to have to undergo additional difficulties as a result of seeking care at our health facilities,” said Spencer when it first came to his attention.