A British man died of an infection after breaking his shoulder in Bali in an instance of “gross neglect”
A British man died of an infection after falling and breaking his shoulder on the Indonesian island of Bali in an instance of “gross neglect”.
The family of Andrew Rowson, a 49-year-old from England, told an inquest that they believed he died of neglect after being hospitalised following the fracture.
His brother Stephen told the inquest that Andrew’s IV drip became infected during two-week stay in the hospital for a broken shoulder and ribs, The Mirror reported.
However, the staff refused to remove the drip and after Andrew took it out himself, they only cleaned the IV with cold sore cream and reinserted it in the same location, Stephen said.
Andrew’s friend was forced to fashion him a sling out of a bedsheet after days of being left without one, and no antibiotics were given to Andrew the entire time he was an in-patient.
The inquiry heard that the drip was left empty for 24 hours, leaving blood to fill the line.
Hospital staff blamed the public holiday and their lack of supplies for Andrew’s undertreatment over the two weeks.
Following discharge, Andrew, accompanied by his Balinese girlfriend presented to Royal Bali Hospital with vomiting, chest pains, a swollen stomach and fever but was sent home.
Three days after he was discharged from Siloam Hospital, Andrew died in his apartment from septicaemia.
“With the extent of malpractice and neglect we feel it is unlawful killing,” his brother told the inquest.
Andrew Rowson died in December last year.
