‘No second chance at life’ at Seshego Hospital
58-year-old Alpheus Sekele has been in hospital for over 40 days and fears he may die soon because of what he terms "poor treatment" at the hospital.
POLOKWANE – Alpheus Sekele (58), says he does not feel safe in the Seshego Hospital because of what he terms the “poor treatment” he has been receiving.
Sekele, who says he constantly worries that he may die soon, was admitted on May 3 after testing positive for Covid-19 on 24 April. He also has tuberculosis, which he says has worsened his ability to breathe properly and he is constantly short of breath.
He explained to BONUS that he tested for Covid-19 on 22 April and received his results on 24 April. A few days later, he had to call an ambulance as he felt weak, drowsy and out of breath.
When he arrived at the Seshego Hospital, he was immediately isolated and monitored, he said.
“I have to take extremely deep breaths as my oxygen levels are low. I have been given an oxygen machine but the mask releases hot air and when I request another one, the nurses refuse,” he claimed.
Sekele has been in hospital for over 40 days and told BONUS that nurses only help him “when they want or feel like it”.
“When I tell them that I am in pain, they refuse to help me or give me pain medication. As I am weak and bed-ridden, I have to wear adult nappies and I can’t change or clean myself independently. I have resulted to taking the dirty nappy off myself but the nurses take a while to remove them and it leaves a terrible smell in the room. This kind of treatment is not acceptable, nor fair to treat another human being like that,” Sekele said.
He added that shift changes among nurses generally results in delayed assistance.
“Because the panic buttons do not work, I call for assistance for hours at a time. I know they can hear me which means they choose to ignore me.”
Sekele says he was also threatened by nurses after he reported them to the sister on duty.
“I was told by a nurse that I would spend a further six months in hospital if I don’t take instructions from him. Due to the condition of my lungs, I can only sit or stretch when I have enough energy to do so, but they force me to stretch when I don’t have energy left in me. If nurses are treating us like this, who’s supposed to take care of us in public hospitals? If someone says they’re a qualified nurse but refuses to do their job by mistreating patients, what do we then do because we are desperate for treatment?” he asked.
“The way I see it, if one is Covid-19 positive and admitted to the Seshego Hospital, you are treated as if you do not deserve a second chance at life. That is the impression they have created for me in the days I have been here. The treatment is affecting my health further due to stress, persistent unhappiness and fear of the nurses,” he said.
Asked for comment, Health Spokesperson Neil Shikwambana advised that patients should not conduct their own medical research as this creates expectations which may not be in line with the care they need.
He said they aware of Sekele’s allegations.
“Patients should always take instruction from nurses and not conduct their own research. They will be misled and misinformed and then think that nurses and doctors are not doing their jobs accordingly. As a patient, let the nurses and doctors do their job and don’t try to tell them what to do.”
