Family complains about how 102 year old woman was treated at the hospital
Family say they are appalled by the shocking treatment of a 102 year old woman who was taken to the Newcastle Provincial Hospital for treatment.
Friends and family of Ouma Nelie Joubert are upset about the manner this 102 year old woman was treated at the Newcastle Provincial Hospital, when she was taken there for treatment.
Ouma Nelie’s daughter, Martie Labuschagne, called the ambulance at about 2pm on October 2, after Ouma Nelie fell very ill.
While friends of the family commended the paramedics for their kind and thoughtful manner, they were dismayed when two members of staff seated in the speciality clinic wouldn’t get up to examine Ouma Nelie.
“The ambulance personnel were very kind to the old lady and took her to Newcastle Provincial. There were two ladies sitting at the table in the specialist clinic and they wouldn’t even get up to look at the old lady. When I asked for water, they just looked at us. I gave her a sip of water, as her lips were very dry. They didn’t even talk to us. They wouldn’t even help her and she was in so much pain. They told the ambulance driver that we had to go to Madadeni Hospital. This poor old lady wasn’t shown any respect and she was in so much agony. Surely they could have given her something for pain,” complained family friend Pat Biljon.
“The ambulance took her to the Madadeni Hospital. There, she had to wait until about 7pm before a doctor could see her. She still wasn’t given anything for pain. She was admitted to a ward. The nurses were very good to the old lady but they had to wait for permission to give her something for pain. Surely, the Newcastle Provincial Hospital could have had the decency to help this old woman. She must be one of the oldest old women in our town. Ouma Nelie is such a lovable old woman and surely deserves some respect for her age. It pains me to see this happen with a senior citizen of Newcastle.”
To this, hospital spokesperson, Sabelo Buthelezi, responded, “Our investigation on the matter indicates that the patient’s condition warranted treatment at Madadeni Hospital for her to receive the appropriate care. Hence, the referral to Madadeni. It is proper procedure to only issue any treatment after due assessment and diagnosis to avoid further complications. This includes pain medications and the medical assessment of the patient was to be done at Madadeni Hospital.”
