The Democratic Alliance (DA) is waiting for the outcome of an investigation by an independent committee into concerns regarding the state of health care at the De Aar hospital.
This follows a commitment received by the DA from the hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) following an incident last week whereby a woman with a colostomy bag, who was in serious pain, was allegedly left to lie unattended on the floor.
According to the patient and a separate observer, the woman, who couldn’t put her dress down due to the agonizing pain it caused her, was treated in an uncaring manner and told by hospital staff to visit the clinic. The patient is a regular clinic visitor and receives a monthly supply of 30 colostomy bags but due to the output, as a result of her bowel movements, this is not sufficient.
She eventually left the facility without any further care.
Meanwhile, information provided by the CEO indicated that the doctor was busy resuscitating another patient and was unable to see her.
The two different accounts are conflicting. Nonetheless, the undignified image of the woman lying unattended on the hospital floor requires further investigation. Especially as the so-called “state of the art” De Aar hospital has a track record of poor quality of care and neglect of patients.
A local DA team has therefore visited the patient, spoken to the observer, and met with the hospital management.
The CEO admitted that the incident was regrettable and that it should never have happened, and we appreciate his commitment to ensuring that the matter is probed.
In addition to awaiting the outcome of the investigation, the DA will alert the Health MEC of the incident and also appeal for further assistance to the patient, whose intestinal problems started after a medical procedure at De Aar Hospital when she miscarried her twin babies.
Everyone’s health and life matter, and everyone deserves to enjoy the right to quality and dignified health care.