Doctors and nurses were always kind

We always hear bad reports about our municipal hospitals and this is why I am writing this as I have to share how wonderful staff at Stanger hospital are.
My husband was diagnosed with liver failure last year and had to become an out patient at Stanger as he was unemployed and not on a medical aid. We had to visit the hospital at least five times to have the fluid that was building up around his stomach tapped. He was admitted twice when we had gone to the hospital for the tapping as on the first occasion, his blood clotting agent was too low and on the second occasion, because he had an infection. Blood tests and x-rays if needed are done in the hospital and the results are on the computer system within ten minutes if they are not too busy. The doctors and nurses in the casualty and male medical ward were always kind to him and certainly eased his suffering.The hospital always looked and smelt clean.
I was advised by the doctor during my husband’s third stay in the hospital to see the hospital’s social worker as my husband needed constant tapping and medical care as the medication was not working as only 25% of his liver was functioning. The social worker helped me with the paper work to have him admitted to a government hospice. Sadly he died the day after I had signed the papers. The nurse who ‘phoned me to advise me that he had passed was so caring and the social worker, Zama even ‘phoned me on the Monday while I was at the hospital mortuary with the undertakers, to say she had just learned that he had passed on and that she was sorry. A private hospital does not do that.
To Zama, Drs Mbathi and Garach and all the other doctors and nurses whose names I do not remember, thank you for all you did to ease my husband’s suffering. Dr Garach, thank you for making him laugh.
To the general public, please help Lindy Elms of KL Studios in Ballito and Lisa Opperman in their outreach programme that helps the new mothers in the maternity ward and those mothers whose babies have died soon after birth. I saw two of these mothers at the mortuary and my heart went out to them.
TRACY BORGES
Ballito