Chief Executive Officer of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital- Dr. Dexter James  has responded to criticism from the wife of a British patient, who spent 10-days at the institution.

David Ramsey was admitted to the hospital last year, after falling ill while onboard a cruise ship.

In an article carried by British newspaper – the Newcastle Chronicle on January 28th, his wife complained about the hospital, saying it was “dirty and looked like something from the 1920s.” She also alleged that Mr. Ramsey developed bedsores and was restrained during his hospitalization.

Dr. James has sought to clarify the situation in a statement.

He said that during the stay of the patient, an audit conducted reveals that it was documented that the treating physicians met with the patient’s wife and representatives from the British High Commission on his clinical condition and prognosis.

In response to allegations that the patient received bed sores during his stay, Dr James said the hospital’s records would reflect that this patient had pre-existing conditions which may have been exacerbated on admission to the QEH.

On the issue of the use of restraint, Dr James added that these are oftentimes recommended by physicians for use on unstable patients if there is an imminent threat to the patient’s safety. Such restraints prevent a patient from sustaining injury to themselves and is widely used in most hospitals.

And on the issue of billing, Dr James said that there is a clear policy regarding care and treatment provided to persons who are neither citizens nor permanent residents. In this case, this patient presented in an emergency condition and care was provided without regard for payments. On discharge, the final bill provided to the patient by the QEH was less than 30% of the reported 19,000 pounds for the overall treatment by the hospital and cruise ship.

Dr James also denies that the MICU is poorly maintained, he claims that it is a state of the art facility that compares favorably with many intensive care units in first world countries.