Patient shares his nightmare at provincial hospital
"Your worst nightmare could not compare to the horrible service in ward M at the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital."
POLOKWANE – Wessie van der Westhuizen (66) from Roodepoort smallholdings was admitted to the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital after he suffered a stroke that left him paralysed on the left side, and he says your worst nightmare could not compare to the horrible service in the hospital’s ward M.
“Patients suffer in ward M. The personnel are unbearably rude and do not care for the patients. When we called them they ignored us, especially at night. They shouted at us and told us we were a nuisance to them, because they wanted to sleep and we were making a noise. I am left handed and my left side is completely paralysed after the stroke, so I can do nothing for myself. They would bring my food to me but refused to feed me, and I would go hungry.
“Before discharging myself from the hospital on Tuesday, I fell off the bed. I called for help, but no one came. I managed to get hold of something on the floor and banged it against the window. Only then did the nurse come to help me,” Van der Westhuizen said.
He added that after the nurse helped him from the floor onto the bed, the hospital personnel tied his foot to the bed with a belt so he did not fall off again. “My ankle is still blue where they tied my foot.”
Still no help from the personnel
On Monday night another patient in the room where I slept got sick. He was making strange noises and was in a lot of pain. Me and the other patients in the room called for the nurses to come and help, but no one came. Later the man went quiet and lay still. I could not move to see if he was still alive,” Van der Westhuizen said.
According to Van der Westhuizen, ward M is a death sentence for any patient, and the Department of Health must address the lack of discipline and dedication among the personnel in ward M before patients die.
The Spokesperson for the Department of Health, Macks Lesufi, was not available to give comment on the matter. Calls to Lesufi’s cell phone were answered by someone else on his behalf. The person told Review Lesufi was in meetings.
Review will publish Lesufi’s comment on the matter once it has been received.
