Kylie's hospital control

Music

16:30 02 June 2005

Kylie Minogue took over an entire hospital wing when she was admitted for breast cancer surgery last month - forcing elderly patients to be moved to other beds.

The pop babe took over eight of the 18 rooms in the hospital's secluded cardiac department in a bid to secure her privacy - forcing more than half a dozen heart patients to be relocated to other wards.

A doctor at the Cabrini hospital, where the star was treated, told Melbourne's Sun Herald newspaper: "It is wholly unusual that a patient with non-cardio problems that doesn't require monitoring is placed in those beds.

"I must admit several people were severely inconvenienced. I was very surprised that eight beds were given to one patient with a non-cardiac condition."

The singer, who had her own dedicated nurse, also had her ward cordoned off by security guards who ordered relatives visiting other patients to walk through the intensive care unit to see their loved ones.

The guards, who were not employed by the hospital and included a personal bodyguard at the star's bedside - also subjected other visitors to rigorous security checks before making them take a detour through a ward full of desperately ill patients, to ensure the singer's privacy.

An elderly female heart patient, who was among those moved to make way for the 37-year-old star told the newspaper: "When you entered the hospital you had to identify yourself and say who you were going to see. My husband had to keep saying who he was.

"The only entrance he could come through was through ICU and you needed a nurse to bring you in or take you out. It would have been quite a nuisance to the doctors."

But in a statement, hospital chief executive, Roger Greenman, denied special measures had been implemented during the pop star's stay and insisted all patients had been cared for equally.

He is quoted by Australia's Seven.com website as saying: "Cabrini Health totally rejects any suggestion that these measures interfered with the proper accommodation or care of patients."

(c) BANG Media International