My father-in-law Samuel Mulder was recently admitted to the Far East Rand Hospital (FERH) after a CT scan was performed on him at the Charlotte Maxeke Hospital.
He had a light stroke and therefore battles to speak, cannot walk because of osteoarthritis and is blind in one eye.
What a shock when I visited him last night at 7pm in ward seven.
An elderly man of 74 was lying helpless on a dirty mattress, his own blankets were at the bottom of the bed, he didn’t have a drip and hadn’t eaten for two days.
When we arrived at my father-in-law’s bedside, he grabbed hold of my brother-in-law’s jacket because he was shivering from the cold. He was so thirsty that he almost drowned himself as he drank the water we gave him.
On the wall by his bed there is a notice stating that you have to wash your hands to prevent germs. What a joke.
The paint on the wall next to his bed is peeling. The windows, walls, beds and ward are so dirty, but when we approached the night staff they were very accommodating.
A clean sheet was put on the bed and they said as soon as the doctor does his rounds, they will put the drip in. According to the night nurse, it was the day staff that didn’t do their work properly.
It seems like convicts in jail receive better medical assistance than our elderly.
Eva Viljoen
* This family approached my office on August 8, with a request that they be allowed to visit the patient outside visiting hours. As they were concerned about the condition of the patient, permission was granted.
They also requested to consult with the doctor to enquire about the condition of the patient, this was also allowed.
I have been to the ward and was assured by the sister in charge that the patient was given the required treatment, as ordered by the doctor.
We accept that the walls in the ward are dilapidated but, as was reported in the local newspaper, we are in the process of renovating two wards. The ward in question is on the plan to be renovated in due course.
This ward is supposed to accommodate 30 patients but due to the renovations and other factors, it accommodates almost double the number.We appeal to the community to bear with us as we go through this difficult period.
It is not true that a patient was not fed for two days. This was confirmed by the nursing staff. A drip is only put up if the doctor so orders.
We are grateful to note that the complainant was attended to when she requested assistance.
The patient was subsequently discharged on August 13.
Hendrik Buda
FERH spokesman
