Action needed over illtreatment of patients

When health care practitioners treat their ill, frail and elderly patients without an ounce of empathy it is clear action must be taken. This newspaper, yesterday, detailed the callous manner in which Motherwell residents had been treated at the Thanduxolo clinic — a clinic they had been locked out of by nurses who claimed it was full for the day.

Shortly after the gates were locked, an epileptic patient collapsed, not once but twice, and still she was not attended to.

While it would be easy to spend many column inches berating the government for the failure of the SA health system — and the failings are many — there is a level of personal accountability for which nurses should strive.

We are mindful, however, of the mountainous challenges that clinic staff battle daily — medication shortages, equipment failures, a lack of security.

Added to that are the pressures of growing populations and new housing settlements built in areas without new clinics.

But, while the working conditions may often be less than optimal, nurses need to know that action will be taken when they fail to provide the care expected of them.

And though department spokesperson Siyanda Manana’s reaction — he said action would be taken and lashed out at the nurse’s callous actions — sounds good, it is concerning that he failed to answer questions about the probe into a tragic incident at the Motherwell Community Clinic in January. In that case, a man who had also been locked out died after an hour of attempts by the community to get him help.

The department of health instantly launched a probe and also dished out condemnations.

Now, when asked for an update on the action taken, the department is silent.

While they might well be taking action, the perception is that nothing has been done and South Africans are sick of a lack of action when it comes to errant government employees.

We all want action.