Patient denied medical assistance, apologise first says doctor

POLOKWANE – A doctor at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital was given a verbal warning last week after he allegedly got into an argument with a patient, threw papers at the patient and refused to admit him to the hospital on 28 September.

A source told Review that the 53-year-old patient was in a motor vehicle accident on 29 August and injured his ankle. He was taken to the Seshego Hospital where he was treated after the accident and discharged.

However, the patient was in a lot of pain and returned to the Seshego Hospital a week after the accident. He was referred to the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital for his ankle to be operated on.

“The man went to the hospital but he was told there was no bed and he was given a date on which to return. When he arrived on the given date there was still no bed for him and he was given yet another date to return but on his third return there was still no bed for him.

The patient was frustrated and angry by this time. He told the doctor he was being sent back and forth while he was in pain, and a plan must be made for him. The doctor lost his temper, became embroiled in an argument with the patient and then later refused to help him. A senior doctor at the hospital came and assisted the patient,” the source revealed.

The source added that when the patient was admitted to one of the wards, the personnel were told not to pay much attention to him until he wrote a letter of apology to the doctor.

“The patient was in the ward for three weeks without being helped. He eventually wrote the letter last week and management organised a meeting between him and the doctor. After his apology, the patient was operated on Friday,” the source said.

The patient confirmed the information provided by the source, but said he was too afraid to give further comment because he still had follow up appointments at the hospital and did not want to be victimised.

Department of Health spokesperson, Macks Lesufi, confirmed there is a shortage of beds at the hospital and it is common practise to admit patients to the hospital nearest to where they reside for medical work ups and stabilisation before being operated on.

“There was misunderstanding between the patient and the doctor. The doctor said the patient threatened him and said he would send people to kill him because of the way the doctor spoke to him. A bed was indeed organised for the patient and he was helped. There was no apology letter written by the patient; it was a normal complaint submitted by the patient which is a normal procedure.

“Complaints are submitted in written form to record the appropriate proceedings according to national core standards. The patient and doctor apologised to each other and a verbal warning was given to the doctor since this was his first offence,” Lesufi said.