“Those deciding to be treated at state hospitals should think twice.”
This is the view of Jonathan Willemse, a patient at Leratong Hospital, who has not been able to walk since March.
Willemse suffered a broken leg on March 2 and was admitted the following day. He then had to wait four weeks to be operated on.
“After I was discharged, I got an infection in my leg and it keeps getting worse. I have not been mobile since March,” Willemse said.
He claims the hospital is not treating his wounds properly and that this has impacted his life immensely.
“I am not able to work due to these wounds. It has made me lose my business and income. I even lost my house and had to sell my bike to survive. I battle every day to keep my head above water and rely on my dad to help me, otherwise I would be homeless,” he sadly said.
“Any time I put pressure on my leg, it gets more infected. I don’t know how long I can take this pain. If you complain to the hospital, they isolate me, just out of spite,” he believes.
The Krugersdorp News has since reached out to Leratong for comment.
The hospital’s communications officer Matlhatsi Dibakwane said when Willemse was discharged, the wounds were not assessed as septic, and that they were not aware of his wound dressing procedures at home.
“According to our records, follow-up appointments at the outpatient clinic have been scheduled and our medical team is currently formulating the next steps for the necessary treatment. He is admitted for further investigation and is scheduled for surgery,” she said.
Dibakwane concluded that Willemse’s treatment has since resumed as he was re-admitted on August 20.
