Picture: The Potchefstroom Hospital
By OBAKENG MAJE
The North West Department of Health described the allegations that the Potchefstroom Hospital turned away a patient without any assistance as absurd. This comes after the ‘pregnant’ Van Eden was allegedly brought to the Potchefstroom Hospital casualty on 27 November 2023, but turned away.
According to the Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on Health in North West, Gavin Edwards, a recent incident at the hospital is a precursor to the type of medical care that will become common practice in an already overburdened system that faces collapse as the ANC-led government forces the NHI Bill through the parliamentary process.
“Van Eeden, a pregnant patient, had to wait more than five hours after initially being turned away by the Potchefstroom Hospital Casualty. She had been examined by a General Practitioner (GP) earlier in the day, who confirmed a good fetal heartbeat.
“Her husband, Steven van Eeden, rushed his wife to the hospital when she started bleeding and was experiencing severe abdominal pain. Casualty staff turned the patient away from the casualty department, insisting that the beds were all full and they would be unable to assist,” he said.
Edwards alleged that Van Eeden begged that his wife be examined and was sent to open a file. He further said Van Eeden’s vital signs were assessed, but her pregnancy was ignored.
“The couple were then sent to a crowded waiting area, where they had no other option than to sit on the floor as there was no seating. Despite repeated requests for urgent assistance, no medical care was provided to the patient.
“After waiting almost five hours, seated on the waiting room floor, the patient left the hospital without any medical care being provided. The hospital staff on duty provided no assistance, insight, or explanations for the delay,” said Edwards.
However, the North West Department of Health spokesperson, Tebog Lekgethwane refutes these allegations. Lekgethwane alleged that the patient said she arrived at the casualty just after 7pm.
“However, the hospital found no record of that. According to casualty records and statements, this patient only arrived at 9pm. Furthermore, at 7pm, there were only four patients for triage and there is no way that she could not have been seen immediately if indeed she had arrived at 7pm.
“Patient profiles at casualty on 27 November 2023 between 6pm up to midnight were 42 in total. Two red patients, 28 orange patients (including 6 pediatrics, 3 general surgery and 19 medical), 1 yellow and 1 green that doctors and nurses were attending to,” he said.
Lekgethwane further said the available beds for examination in casualty are eight. He added that only eight patients can be examined at a time.
“Examination beds will only be free when patients are fully examined, investigated, admitted, or discharged. This can take a total treatment time of 60 to 240 minutes per patient; depending on the patient’s condition.
“Also, the attitude of the family is concerning to the hospital as it smacks of racism. This is evidenced by the utterance that apartheid Kallie de Haas Hospital was much better than this ANC looters black management run butchery of a hospital,” said Lekgethwane.
He said this comment was written in the complaint and he repeated it during the redress meeting.
The Guardian 