Patient refused referral letter to hospital

Community health centres and clinics provide health services and referral letters for patients in need of hospital care.

The Gamalakhe Progressive Civic Organisation’s secretary, Siphelele Nzimande, has lashed out at Gamalakhe Community Health Centre, accusing it of neglecting its duty to care for ill community members in need of referral letters to hospitals for further healthcare.

Nzimande said on December 11, 2024, he visited Gamalakhe Community Health Centre with an ill relative. He said the centre refused to give them a referral letter to Murchison District Hospital.

“My wife’s sister, Balungile Pretty Sikobi, was very ill. We brought her to Gamalakhe Community Health Centre because we live in Gamalakhe. This is our closest community health centre. They examined her and reported that her condition did not qualify her to be referred to Murchison District Hospital. We were surprised because we could see that she was seriously ill, but shocked by their assessment and refusal to write her a referral letter,” said Nzimande.

He said they rushed her to the nearest private doctor, who examined her and referred her to Murchison District Hospital for further care.

She was admitted, and at the time of writing, she was still in hospital receiving medical attention.

Gamalakhe Community Health Centre’s spokesperson, Lifa Radebe, was contacted for comment via email over a week ago.

Radebe was asked why the patient was not referred but referred by a private doctor and admitted.

Radebe responded on January 10 via WhatsApp that the KZN Department of Health spokesperson, Agiza Hlongwane, had asked him to verify the publication date for this story.

The Fever responded on the same day, advising him that the deadline is a Monday morning. However, no further response was received at the time of going to press.

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