Feedback: Chaperone

H wrote in:

Hi, I hv to go for annual pelvic CT scan post op. Need sound advice:
Is it proper for lone male radiographer/MO to insert tampon & squirt dye to the rectum without the presence of a nurse or female staff?

Shared this experience with medical ctr customer svc mgr who brought up to their radiology dept, seems the staff/s laughed off incident saying patient already menopause dried up & all .. What is all the fuss about ?

It happened last Dec, just heard about the outcome, felt so degraded after hearing from the manager who resigned recently. Think the entire dept needs a real shake up as I’m not the only one to complain. Prof
gynae never touch me without his nurse around. Just unsure how radiology dept works. Tks

Hi H.
Thanks for writing in. We are sorry to hear of your experience and understand how you feel.
In our opinion it is not appropriate for any medical personnel, be it doctor or even radiographer to perform examination or prodecures on a member of the opposite sex’s private parts in the absence of a chaperone. This is only courting trouble and can invite allegations of sexual impropriety.
It certainly is no laughing matter.
You should bring it up to the top management of the hospital as a complaint – every hospital should have a “grievance mechanism”.