SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – A breast cancer patient at Memorial Health reached out to WSAV after she says staff ignored her pleas for them to clean her room and provide basics like toilet paper.
Shawne Jones said Tuesday she had been at Memorial Health for two weeks to receive chemotherapy for breast cancer. She was diagnosed when she was recovering from COVID-19 at the hospital.
She says she was home for less than a week before she had to return to a hospital room.
“It’s just fear in capital letters,” said Jones of a situation she says was getting worse during her second stay on campus.
Jones claims hospital staff ignored requests to clean a grimy bathroom and dirty floor. She sent WSAV the following pictures:
“It’s unkept,” she said. “I’m a chemotherapy patient that actually receives chemo here in a hospital room where you don’t even feel safe enough to use the toilet…there’s so much crud and corrosion and filth.”
Jones also claims staff have ignored her requests for toilet paper and other basic necessities like clean plates and water. She is worried about her weakened immune system.
“You would think they’d be extra careful because of coronavirus and different things like that …you’re not getting that kind of care here,” said Jones. “It’s inhumane.”
While on the phone Tuesday with WSAV’s Kelly Antonacci, housekeeping staff arrived to clean the room. Until that point, Jones’ fiancee, Edward Montgomery, says he had been cleaning the room and the floors with a washcloth.
“What I’m doing here, it’s not for me to do. It’s for the hospital to do because I have enough on my plate taking care of her,” said Montgomery.
The couple says Memorial Health stepped up later Tuesday to clean the room, replace a broken bed and apologize for the trouble.
A representative for Memorial Health sent WSAV the following statement:
As you know, we cannot confirm if a patient is with us. We can tell you that we clean all patient rooms daily. In some cases, cleanings are more frequent based on requests.
Memorial Health
