Compassion, answers needed

COMPASSION is a given expectation in any decent or fair society. Where rules and regulations exist and must be respected, the overriding hope is that they can be bent every now and again when the need arises.

Hospitals, for example, have visiting hours which must be adhered to, not because managers are mean but to allow the normal flow of medical care to continue unhindered.

But when a patient is on their death bed and the family is called in to say their goodbyes, compassion dictates that they are allowed in, even if for a short while.

Independent Media reported last week about a Pretoria woman, Laetitia Musiker, whose mother died at Steve Biko Hospital while she was outside pleading with security to let her in. Hospital staff had called her and told her to rush there, but the men at the gate refused to let her enter.

They would not even accept the call from medical staff urging that Musiker should be allowed in. Instead they were in uniform and officious, telling her “rules are rules”. Although we await official comment from the Health Department, it is clear that Musiker was wronged.

Emphasising the difficulty of accepting death, a spokesperson at the hospital said it was important to allow people the chance to say goodbye. “Family is allowed in, with their choice of spiritual leaders and given the privacy they deserve,” he confirmed. “This not only helped deal with the death, but assured them the person was at peace.”

As we empathise with Musiker, so too must we support the families of 141 patients who died in the Esidimeni tragedy, who only now are seeing some remorse and apology by the health authorities for the terrible treatment of their loved ones. Is it a lack of compassion? Is it heartlessness?

Surely it cannot be being principled and “doing what is right” when lives are lost and family members are left with questions that may never be answered.