‘Patient’s death not negligence’

A VERULAM family claim that negligence led to the death of a relative in a Kwazulu-natal North Coast hospital.

Nelson Govender, 62, died on Wednesday evening at Osindisweni Hospital near Verulam.

He was hospitalised last Saturday for acute abdominal pains.

Govender’s son-in-law Haresh Jankypershad claims it was the hospital’s negligence that led to his death.

“We were informed by another patient that my father-in-law had fallen and was put back into bed by a security guard. He hurt his head, but was not treated for his injury.

“On Monday night he sent my wife a ‘please call me’.

“He pleaded with us to fetch him, saying they threatened to stab him and took his personal things. It was apparently patients from the psychiatric ward. The steel bars from a security gate that separates patients in the psychiatric ward from other wards were broken.

“Since that night, my father-inlaw's condition deteriorated. We reported the incident of the psychiatric patients to hospital management.

“During a meeting with management, we informed them of my father-in-law's head injury which they didn’t seem to know about,” said Jankypershad.

He said the family would be reporting the matter to the Health Department for an investigation into the state of the hospital.

“I have photos showing the broken security bar from where the psych patients get out.

“If he had not fallen, his condition would not have deteriorated,” said Jankypershad.

Prem Balram of security company Reaction Unit South Africa (Rusa) said the family sought their assistance following the alleged incident with the psychiatric patients.

“Jankeypershad informed reaction officers that his father-in-law had been attacked repeatedly since his admission,” he said.

In response to a post on social media regarding Govender’s experience, one social media user commented: “Yes, Osindisweni hospital psychiatric patients walk about and harass the patients.”

Another said: “I first hand experienced this whilst visiting a family. A elderly women walking in and around the hospital stalk naked, verbally abusing patients (sic).

“The nurse was not interested in getting her clothed nor restraining her. She ended up throwing stones at people and it was amusing and entertaining for the hospital staff (sic).”

Ntokozo Maphisa, spokesperson for the Kwazulu-natal Department of Health, said the department had noted correspondence on social media and elsewhere regarding this matter.

“The allegations attributed to the patient were investigated and found to be simply untrue.

“It appeared that they may have been due to a particular clinical condition affecting the patient, which we are not at liberty to divulge.

“Hospital management has had extensive engagements with the nextof-kin regarding how the patient was managed.

“Should they seek any further clarity, they are welcome to approach the office of the hospital CEO.

“Without prejudice, the department wishes to send its condolences to the bereaved family,” said Maphisa.