Patient fumes after 17-hour wait for hospital transfer
She alleged it was only after she confronted the doctor who suggested bed rest when she was admitted, that a nurse came forward to assist with changing the drips.
Edenvale resident, Mrs Debbie Bolton, accused the Edenvale Hospital of poor hygiene and claimed the hospital made her wait almost 17 hours before she was transferred to the Selby Hospital.
Mrs Bolton said she went to the hospital on January 5 and was told after an approximately 17-hour wait, that she will be transferred to the Selby Hospital on January 6 as the hospital did not have beds available. This was after she had been advised by a doctor that her sugar levels were high and she needed bed rest while taking insulin.
Mrs Bolton alleged a nurse instructed her to wait in the corridor without keeping her “updated on how she will be assisted”. She told the NEWS she waited from 8.45am and was only transferred to the Selby Hospital at 1.30am the following day.
“In the early hours of Tuesday morning, I confronted the supervisor. He kept cutting me off all the time. When my husband came to my rescue, then only were we directed to a room next to causality.
“I had five drips but even then, my condition did not improve. Every time the drip finished, I had to run around the hospital, looking for hospital staff to change my drip,” said Mrs Bolton.
She alleged it was only after she confronted the doctor who suggested bed rest when she was admitted, that a nurse came forward to assist with changing the drips.
Mrs Bolton also accused the hospital of poor hygiene and gave the NEWS photographs that show bathrooms in an unpleasant state and blood stains on corridor floors.
The office of Dr Norman Kernes, Edenvale Hospital’s chief executive officer, referred the NEWS to the hospital’s clinical manager, Dr Donald Maluleke for comment.
In a written reply, Dr Maluleke stated the hospital provided Mrs Bolton with satisfactory service.
“The patient was treated adequately by our institution. Edenvale Hospital, like other hospitals in the province, is under severe pressure for acute beds. As a norm, no patient is denied treatment. In this case the patient was diagnosed with diabetes.
“She needed hospital admission and there were no beds hence the referral to the Selby Park Hospital in consultation with the patient,” said Dr Maluleke.
He dismissed the photographs provided by Mrs Bolton and said, “The photos seem to be collated over time, as most of what is depicted in the photos has been fixed by the department of infrastructure development and our maintenance crew in 2014,” said Dr Maluleke.
The head of communications at the Gauteng Department of Health, Mr Prince Hamnca, said it is regular practice for patients to be transferred to neighbouring hospitals when there is a need for beds.
“If the hospital is full, hospital diversion is activated and acute patients are referred to other institutions,” said Mr Hamnca.
Echoing Dr Maluleke’s sentiment, Mr Hamnca said cleanliness at hospitals is a priority.
“Hospital cleanliness is one of the six key priorities the department measures as part of the quality care value promise. These priorities have been incorporated into the performance appraisal of CEOs. While the hospital acknowledges cleanliness had been a challenge, the problem has since last year been addressed and measures to ensure that the hospital is always clean are in place.”
Mr Hamnca urged the community to use the various channels available to file complaints.
“The department requests patients who experience difficulties in any health institution to report their concerns to quality assurance officers based at all our institutions. If they are not satisfied, they should report to facility managers such as the relevant hospital’s CEO or the clinic managers. Their concerns will be taken seriously and thoroughly investigated. Patients are also encouraged to lodge any disgruntlement or otherwise through our 24-hour call centre at 0860 011 000,” said Mr Hamnca.
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