George blames Bethal Hospital doctor for his wife’s miscarriage

George Wiid (35) demands answers from Bethal Hospital after a doctor refused to treat his wife Hendrina, when she showed signs of a miscarriage.

Wiid wants to know why the hospital allowed this doctor to refuse to treat patients. An appointment with a private doctor on June 24 confirmed Hendrina was around eight weeks pregnant.

Although still early in her pregnancy, the doctor said everything was fine with the foetus and prescribed folic acid.

This would have been the couple’s third child. Hendrina noticed the first signs of light bleeding on July 3.

“I was worried about the bleeding. I have never experienced something like this with my other children.”

The couple opted to go to Bethal Hospital because the private doctor Hendrina had previously seen was not available.

“We had no issues. The doctors and nursing staff were accommodating and friendly,” said Hendrina.

She was admitted to the hospital and they did a scan.

“The doctor said I was showing signs of a possible miscarriage. However, the embryonic sack was still intact in my uterus.

“I was discharged on July 4 and given folic acid.”

On July 5 at around 23:00, Hendrina was experiencing pain and was bleeding more heavily.

“George took me back to Bethal Hospital. I waited for quite some time, so he eventually went home,” said Hendrina.

While she was waiting at casualties, a doctor called her and asked what she was doing there.

“I told her I was pregnant and was experiencing pains and bleeding. She went off at me. She did not even had my file and accused me of abusing the system,” said Hendrina.

At that moment, Hendrina felt anxious at how the doctor was yelling at her and felt the need to record the doctor.

The Ridge Times reporter heard the recording and the doctor said to Hendrina: “We have emergencies here. I have seen you multiple times before and have given you pills every single time. I am not doing it again. We have emergency patients here and you keep doing this more and more.”

The doctor then asked Hendrina when she was discharged, and Hendrina showed the doctor the discharge letter.

“On the 4th, you see you come, one day, one day, ah uh ah uh,” said the doctor in the recording.

The doctor told Hendrina to return the following Monday to the general outpatient department (GOPD).

“Ma’am we have got emergency patients in here, I have seen you before,” said the doctor.

Hendrina explained to the doctor she had never seen her before and that she was discharged on July 4, with folic acid.

“You cannot keep doing this, ma’am. You are abusing our system,” the doctor said to Hendrina.

When speaking to the Ridge Times Hendrina said: “I have never seen nor met this doctor before. I don’t know what the doctor was talking about me being there many times before.

“I didn’t even see her the first time I was admitted. Another doctor saw me. She did not even have my file or had details of my medical history.”

Shocked about how the doctor treated her, Hendrina sent George a message at around 1:15 to fetch her.

“The way the doctor was treating me made me feel scared; so I waited for George outside at the security.”

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An upset George insisted on an answer on why his wife was being refused treatment and that the hospital would need to provide a letter stating that they were refusing treatment.

“I was told to keep quiet because I was shouting but yet the doctor was allowed to go off on my wife, who is a patient,” said George.

The couple left the hospital in the early hours of the morning, went home and saw a private doctor later that day.

“The doctor confirmed I had a miscarriage and gave me a referral letter for Bethal Hospital.”

“I was scared to go back to the hospital because of what happened, but George still took me there,” said Hendrina.

She was admitted again and received medical care from the same doctor and nurses who treated her on July 4.

“The treatment I received in the women’s surgical ward was good. Not all the doctors and nurses are bad,” said Hendrina.

She told the doctor of the ill-treatment she had received from the doctor who refused to treat her on July 5.

“He said he would take the matter up with his supervisor and I was told to fill in a grievance form for it to go through the process,” said Hendrina.

She said filling in a grievance form would not help and said: “The one day I needed the help of Bethal Hospital, that doctor refused me treatment.”

Hendrina was discharged on July 9.

“I don’t know how to feel. I go through emotions of crying, anger and hurt because of how that doctor treated me. She accused me of something I did not do or even had no idea of.

“At that moment, I was just shocked. I am not a person that likes fighting or conflict and I am shocked at the way she was going off at me.”

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George said: “I feel if the doctor was doing her job and helped us like she was supposed to do, the baby could have been saved or my wife could have received the immediate treatment she was supposed to get.”

“I am not going to leave this matter here and will definitely take it further,” said George.

Dumisani Malamule, spokesperson of the provincial department said the department is investigating the alleged incident and that a disciplinary process will be followed if outcomes indicate wrongdoings from the officials.

At the time of going to print on July 19, George informed the Ridge Times that the hospital staff contacted them and wanted to have a meeting with them.

“The hospital gave an apology on behalf of the hospital and the doctor,” said George.

“The doctor was not present in the meeting and I did not accept their apology. I was given papers to sign refusing the hospital’s apology,” said George.