More and more horror stories about hospital

HORROR stories of how patients are treated at the Mitchells Plain District Hospital paint a picture of a service in crisis.

Many people say they have lodged complaints, but nothing has been done. Issues of staff not attending to patients, a lack of empathy and a lack of follow-up appear to have been missed by the department. And an “in-depth investigation”, requested by Health MEC Nomafrench Mbombo is the same investigation apparently already done after the Appollis family lodged a complaint because of the way their wife and mother Blanche was treated before her death.

The Cape Times reported that when Blanche Appollis, 62, woke up after being resuscitated, her family said her hands were tied, she was naked and three porters laughed at her when she asked them to cover her up. Even though her condition was serious, the family say she waited for hours to be seen by a doctor. Nurses also didn’t help their mother to the toilet or give her a bedpan, forcing her to wet herself. She died on May 26.

Provincial department of health spokesperson Mark van der Heever said the investigation ordered by Mbombo had already been done by the hospital when the family complained. When the Cape Times told Van der Heever of numerous other complaints, he said people could also lodge complaints with their call centre. Calls had to be responded to within 36 hours.

He acknowledged that the core issue was that complaints were not being followed up. When it came to how to complain, he said: “Posters (detailing the complaints procedure) should be up.”

He said Mbombo had recently launched an independent complaints commission.

The Cape Times has been inundated with e-mails and social media posts, including:

Nicki Hendricks’ aunt Francis Cupido, 82, died on April 29 after being admitted on April 23. She had terrible back pain and asthma. When Hendricks visited her she had vomited and staff had not cleaned her up, she could not reach her food and the bell was out of reach. The nurses were standing around laughing.

Even though the family complained and filled in forms they have not had a response.

Jasmine Page’s mother had cancer and was rushed to the hospital after suffering a heart attack. Page found her mother sleeping on the floor. Speaking on Facebook, Page said her mother refused to stay and was told to sign a form saying she was refusing treatment.

“I told the doctor she is not signing that document because she is not refusing the treatment but the conditions under which she must stay there. I took her home, where she died a month later.”

Christine Stone’s husband had a stroke and he was paralysed on his right side, but he had to sit in a chair for hours.

Lana Lamb’s father, a double amputee, was admitted on June 27. The next day the family spent two hours searching for him, only to find out that he had died the night before.