Woman left naked and uncleaned at Edenvale Hospital
She was not changed into a new diaper after her filthy one was removed
A Kempton Park woman found her mother naked under a blanket and without care in the casualty department at Edenvale Hospital last week Tuesday.
Julia Viljoen (66) of Sasolburg was not attended to for almost two days after being admitted to the hospital with a letter from a doctor stipulating she should be admitted to intensive care.
Her daughter, Yolandé Pretorius, said her mother suffered from emphysema and her one lung had collapsed. She also had moisture on her lungs.
They took her to a doctor on Monday, who gave them the letter, and then to Edenvale Hospital. They waited in a queue, despite the letter. Viljoen started to have trouble breathing and they took her home where she had an oxygen machine.
On the Tuesday, Viljoen got even worse and an ambulance was called. The ambulance first took her to Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital where no beds were available. They then took Viljoen to Edenvale Hospital, where they arrived at about 8pm.
Pretorius said hospital staff removed her soiled diaper, which she wears permanently, as well as her clothes when she arrived. However, it was never changed and she was not given a hospital gown.
Neither was she properly cleaned, Pretorius said. When the family arrived the following Wednesday morning, Viljoen had still not been changed or cleaned.
Pretorius said her mother had been sick for quite a while and had been in a hospital in Sasolburg prior to this event. She was discharged two weeks ago and they went to fetch her last week Monday.
“She was lucky to get a bed in casualty, as patients were lying on mattresses on the floor.”
She said a doctor did apologise for the inconvenience and said there were just not enough doctors, staff and space to accommodate the constant influx of patients. She said a doctor also confirmed Viljoen needed to be in ICU.
Viljoen was finally admitted at noon on Thursday last week but was still not in ICU on Monday. She did look better, Pretorius said.
Kempton Express contacted Dr Norman Kernes, CEO of Edenvale Hospital, who referred us to Dr Donald Maluleke, clinical manager at the hospital. Maluleke did not reply to questions sent to him at the time of going to print.
Pretorius said incidents like these and the fact that the hospital did not have enough room for everyone, should be an eye opener for whoever decided the fate of Kempton Park Hospital.
