Pregnant woman sent from pillar to post at Buite Clinic
When Elisa Pietersen arrived at the clinic after being told to return, nurses seemingly told her it was payday, and that they were too busy to help her.
POLOKWANE – A preganant woman who visited Buite Clinic in Polokwane was told several times to return home after waiting in the queue for hours, for her routine check-up.
Elisa Pietersen said on the day, nurses drew blood and told her to return two weeks later, which she did. When she arrived at the clinic, nurses seemingly told her it was payday, and that they were too busy to help her.
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“The nurse told me I once again needed to go home, as the queue was too long to help everyone.”
She said this was a problem, as employers often think pregnant women take chances if they spend an entire day at a hospital or clinic. She returned three days later, on a Saturday.
“When I got there, the nurses told me that they do not assist pregnant women on weekends and that I must come back in the week. This is frustrating and sad for someone to go through this, especially while pregnant. It’s not fair towards me, other pregnant women nor our babies,” she added.
She told BONUS that the toilets at the clinic are dirty, and not in working order, however, she plans to return to the clinic again, in the hopes of being assisted.
Department of Health Spokesperson Neil Shikwanbana says public hospitals and clinics are supposed to help anyone at all times.
“All health facilities are open to assist any patient, without excuses. Government health facilities do not operate according to how a person feels or how the nurses’ day is going, we are supposed to help and assist any patient and work according to government protocol. To treat patients in this manner is indeed wrong and uncalled for. When a woman is pregnant and is not feeling well, regardless of a scheduled date she’s given, she has the right to go for a check up at any time to see if she or the baby’s doing healthy. We’re going to investigate on the matter further and get to the bottom of this,” he concluded.
