Family left distraught
It has been a little over a year since Covid-19 reared its ugly head in our town.
One would breathe a sigh of relief, considering the Middelburg Provincial Hospital is in its second phase of the vaccine roll-out.
This, however, is not the case for a family that has been left distraught after the hospital allegedly refused them to bring food for their bed-ridden daughter. The 35-year-old woman has been in hospital due to a Covid-19 related illness for almost two months.
The complainant, who would like to remain anonymous, said as a family they understand that due to Covid-19 restrictions they are prohibited from visiting. She continued to express how heartbroken and devastated this whole ordeal has been to the family and how they cannot understand why her sister is starving under the hospital’s care.
Due to the patient’s health deteriorating, she was transferred to the Witbank Provincial hospital for one week.
It is alleged that the family was permitted to bring food almost every day, and an extra blanket for the patient, with no difficulties at the Witbank Hospital, “What weighs us down is that my sister’s health might deteriorate even further, should she continue to starve,” said the complainant.
The Mpumalanga Department of Health Media Liaison Christopher Nobela said, “According to the patient, the complaint was about the department not allowing families to bring food to them. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, food from outside the hospital is not allowed.”
• The family was contacted by the Middelburg Observer and given the feedback, however, they were still not satisfied with the response given by the Mpumalanga Department of Health.
