A MEREBANK pensioner who sustained second degree burns during a freak accident at a senior citizens club, was appalled when she was left unattended at a clinic and given R50 to get home, even though she was unable to walk.
Distraught by the manner in which she was treated by officials at the Durban South Service Centre’s second branch in Merebank, Valliama Munsamy, 73, said she was at a social gathering at the centre when an unstable table, holding an urn filled with boiling water, collapsed.
“I was in severe pain and couldn’t move by myself. The chairperson, Nad Archery, and vice chairperson, Mogie Govender, were not at the venue at the time. A few of the members made arrangements and I was taken to the clinic, where I was treated and told that I could leave. When we got back to the centre, my injuries worsened.
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“Mogie took me back to the clinic after she arrived and saw that the severity of the burns. Although I could not walk, I was left alone at the clinic. I was in a wheelchair and waited for Mogie to return, but it seems that they left. A messenger brought R50 and I was told to take an Uber home,” Valliama said.
The long wait alone at the clinic in agony ended when her husband, Rajen, 72, fetched her.
“My daughter received a call that I was injured and at the clinic. She had to arrange for transport to fetch my husband and pick me up from the clinic. I am shocked about how I was treated after the accident,” she said.
Valliama’s daughter, Remona, 37, said three days after the incident, Mogie visited the Munsamy family at home and said she had come to apologise.
“I asked her what really happened and she became enraged and told me that she did not come to debate. All we wanted to know was what happened and why the club was left to operate without anyone in charge, an in the absence of the chairperson or vice chairperson. Elderly residents need extra care and some of them need to be assisted with various tasks.
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“It was only after we spoke to community leader, Yusuf Vawda, on how elderly people are treated and brought the incident to his attention, that Mogie visited my mom.
“Vawda has visited mom on a regular basis and checked in on her progress, which has been slow since she is diabetic. He also assisted with medical bills, which has been more than what we can afford as mom has also been on diapers since her injury.
“Our family hopes that sharing my mom’s experience will expose the manner in which those tasked with taking care of elders operate. We will escalate the matter once my mom fully recovers. Facilities, which cater to elderly residents, need to be run by people who have experience in dealing with the senior citizen, emotionally, physically, and during a crisis. Accidents can be avoided and lives can be saved,” added Remona.
Numerous attempted to contact Govender and Archery proved futile at the time of going to print.
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