Harriet Wilson, Lentegeur
My son EugeneI was admitted to Mitchell's Plain District Hospital Rose Ward, in Lentegeur, on Tuesday November 16.
He was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). I would visit him but last week I only managed to visit him on Friday November 26.
On my arrival at the ward I spotted that he was not there. I asked the sister about his whereabouts.
She answered me so rudely and with an ugly attitude: "Ons het hom Dinsdag Brooklyn Chest Hospitaal toe gestuur.
"Wie is jy?"
I asked now why did they not phone me, to inform me that they are going to transfer him.
Now again she replied with a rude answer and wanted to know who I was.
"Vir wat moet ons julle laat weet?" she asked.
I told her that I am his mother and I have all the right to know.
She just kept on being rude.
When I asked her if I could see the manager of the hospital she said: "Vir wat wil jy die manager sien daar is niks om te complain nie.
"Hy is Brooklyn Chest hospitaal toe."
The only phone number on his folder was mine.
Monique Johnstone, principal communications officer of Klipfontein and Mitchell’s Plain Substructure for the Western Cape Government Department of Health, responds:
The Western Cape Government Health would like to extend our apologies for the negative experience the client’s mother endured at Mitchell’s Plain District Hospital.
The hospital management has agreed to draw up a quality improvement plan on the quality of services rendered and the nurse in question will be disciplined for her behaviour and attitude.
The patient who is an adult male and was of sound mind to receive consultation from the staff, was transferred to the Brooklyn Chest TB Hospital.
Unfortunately, contact was not made with his mother to inform her of her son’s transfer and management has conducted further inquiries into the matter.
The nursing manager recently made contact with the patient’s mother to apologise and to inform her of the referral decision and the transfer of her son.