Woman relates hospital ordeal

LYDENBURG – On July 28, just before midnight, Ms Nicci Mellouk was rushed to Lydenburg Hospital as her water broke prematurely. Her serious condition was not immediately attended to due to the fact that she had left her handbag in which she kept her ID and hospital card, at home and both were needed before they could assist her. “Finally, after about 15 minutes, I was referred to casualty where the nurse on duty advised me to go straight to the maternity ward.

The staff were alerted of my arrival via phone.” Mellouk said on reaching the ward, all four sisters at the nurse’s station were enjoying bread and coffee. “They were extremely rude when my neighbour, who took me to the hospital, asked them to help us.” They wheeled her into a room and told her to get out the chair although she was in intense pain. “The nurse threw a hospital gown at me and told me to put it on and get onto the bed. It didn’t even close properly. “She pushed down hard on my stomach and I cried out in pain, then she pushed even harder and told me she had to see how far my cervix had dilated.

The nurse really hurt me and I screamed out in agony.” Afterwards she had to pay a R500 deposit before she could receive treatment and her file. “While the sister was out of the office, the admissions lady came and argued about the deposit. I told her that my husband was working the night shift and would pay it in the morning, which he did.They had not monitored my blood pressure or even the baby’s heartbeat till now.” At this point the sister told her to be quiet as the other patients in the ward “also had rights”.

“She then gave me an injection and told me to sleep,” said Mellouk. She was awake for most of the night and at about 04:00 a nurse wanted to know if she expected her to forget about the other patients and only take care of her. That morning Mellouk was labelled as a terrible patient who had refused assistance. After her doctor took over her care, things improved. Another distressing issue which Mellouk noted was how unhygienic the hospital was. She told Steelburger/Lydenburg News that the floors in some places were covered in urine and blood stains and that the shower and one of the toilets in the ward weren’t working.

The acting CEO of Lydenburg Hospital, who preferred to remain anonymous, was not aware of the incident and could therefore not provide any information. He said it would be investigated and communicated to the provincial spokesman as soon as possible. Mellouk is currently undergoing bed rest. Little Keagan is expected to be prematurely delivered by C-section on October 10.