The Madadeni Provincial Hospital is under fire, after a blistering complaint from a concerned Newcastle resident, Thami Zungu on social media.

Zungu shared the experience he allegedly had when a family member was sick and admitted to the healthcare facility. Following the incident, Zungu described himself as ‘sorely disappointed’.

Health officials have since given their response to the matter outlined by Zungu.

Shortly after his post, other residents gave their scathing reviews of alleged poor service they or family members had undergone. Some of their comments follow below:

Nkazimulo Siwela

“I was ill last year in May, June, July and August. I was bed-ridden but I told my children and neighbours to not even think of taking me to Madadeni Hospital, because I’ll die. My two children died there, my first born in 2013 and my last born in 2015. I fear that place. I got better at Utrecht (Niemeyer Memorial Hospital). Even now, when I get sick, I head straight to Utrecht. I’m sorry but I am really scared of Madadeni Hospital, just thinking of it brings tears to my eyes.”

Makhosazana Heidi Phakathi

“I despise that hospital. Some of the nurses really torment your soul. You are given food and it sits there the whole day and when you ask something, they say come back in the morning to ask the doctor, because apparently they don’t have rights to open files. Those people are evil.”

Sanele Mbatha Nene 

“There’s a complaints sheet that should be there. You are able to express your complains or ask for the Public Relations Officer and state your problem. Those nurses are rude. I work at a hospital and I see how things happen everyday. I can give you the hospital’s number and ask to speak to the PRO, they really help. People get sick and die because of nurses’ negligence.”

Nkosinathi Nkosi

“I am sorry my brother. I know that hospital very well. I slept there when I had a small tumor on my leg, I was in the G3 ward and after an operation, I was taken to G13 ward. They kill a person those nurses. This other old man cried the whole night asking for assistance and they never payed any attention to him. He cried until he stopped around 1am, when he took his last breath. When he stopped crying, they weren’t even aware that he had passed on, instead one of the nurses said finally we some silence. It was when there was a change of doctors’ shifts they must have seen. They killed that old man in our watch, and nothing was even done after that. No one was called to order.”

Khanyi Thando Hlongwane 

“Reporting won’t help much. Start taking videos and voice recordings and share them on social media. I guess for me that’s the only way I have figured we will get the Health Department’s attention. I am sorry about your brother.”

Slethuthando Slethusipho Gamndane

“I know Madadeni Hospital, people don’t survive. You’re even lucky you found your brother alive. I also had an incident there once; I was visiting my cousin at the hospital around 11am and he was doing much better. Around 3pm, he couldn’t speak and was dripping saliva. When we came back again around 7pm, we were told he had gone insane and died, after he hit himself on the table. It is sad what they are doing there, and disgusting. Our relatives are dying.”

Read the full story in this week’s edition of the Newcastle Advertiser.

ALSO READ: PREVIEW: Family wants answers on son’s death at Madadeni Provincial Hospital

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Email: Reveshni Douglas (Editor) at reveshni@caxton.co.za

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