Community leaders engage to resolve issues at Wentworth Hospital

DETERMINED to iron out various issues affecting vulnerable residents who visit Wentworth Hospital, key role-players in the Wentworth community met with members of the CL Rights Commissioners to address concerns relating to the hospital.

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Servicing the Merebank, Wentworth and the Bluff areas, the hospital, which came under scrutiny after the PRO, Thandeka Nxumalo, failed to permit a pastor from the community to pray for a sick, elderly patient, in September.
Relentless in their quest to rectify the wrongs of those who fail to properly provide healthcare services the community, community leaders, Pastor Roy Nair and Tracey Williams, said they will fight for the rights of all patients.

According to Nair, he was called to pray for 68-year-old Prema Pamela Chinniah in September.

“I contacted the hospital’s PRO notifying her that I needed to visit the hospital to pray, but received no response. I then contacted her on her private number and she advised me to call within working hours. Her response left me in shock. She asked me if I thought that if I pray for the patient, it will save her life. A few days later, Chinniah passed away. Her family was only called when she was dead and not when her health took a turn for the worst. The family was also shown disrespect as they were not provided with any information regarding the patient,” Nair said.

Williams said this was not the only issue that patients face at the hospital.

“We needed to address negligence, the shortage of medication, the cleanliness of toilets, principles not been practiced as per the hospital’s code of conduct, as well as the manner in which nurses and other hospital staff treat patients. The rude attitude of the security personnel and the manner in which the clinic was operating was also brought to the attention of the commissioners,” said Williams.

In a letter to the hospital’s CEO, Tiny Khanyile, Williams said the hospital board failed in their role.

“No proper protocol or priority is given to patients who are seriously ill, old or young. Medication supply is always short. Patients get scripts if the hospital does not have medication and they have to pay from their pockets. The delay in follow up of the PRO regarding the patient via email and telephonic was fruitless. Old people are afraid to complain because they will be mistreated on their next visit. They sit there hungry for hours and have to wait because they need their medication. The commissioners themselves raised great concerns about the issues we highlighted and vowed to address it. The meeting has opened better communication with the pastors, organisation and with hospital management,” Williams said.

Nair said staff at the hospital displayed an embarrassing and disgraceful attitude in an emotional environment and was assured by members of the commission that issues will be addressed.

Nair and Williams encourage residents who encounter problems at the hospital to contact them so that they can escalate their complaints to the relevant role players. Pastor Roy Nair can be contacted on 083 691 8251. To get in touch with Tracey Williams, call 074 703 1396.

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