3 family members die at hospital

2008-05-09 12:02

Walter Ka Nkosi

Polokwane - A Limpopo family has threatened to sue the provincial department of health and social development after a third family member died at Seshego hospital this week.

The Vena family from Seshego near Polokwane has lost three family members at the hospital in the past three years, most recently Maggie Vena, 60, who died on Tuesday.

Staff 'negligent, arrogant and careless'

"You know, we have experienced the worse possible things at that hospital and have had enough of their negligent staff, especially their arrogant and careless ambulance people," said Maggie's grief-stricken nephew, Stanley Vena, 37, on Thursday.

Stanley's mother, Rossina Vena, 61, also died at the hospital in 2005, while his brother, Olive Dimakantho Vena, 41, died there in 2006.

Stanley says his aunt died on Tuesday when the hospital failed to dispatch an ambulance to her house. She had been treated at the hospital for breathing problems earlier in the day and discharged with a prescription of anti-inflammatories, antibiotics and cough syrup.

Her two daughters had accompanied her to the hospital after she had complained of flu-like symptoms and couldn't stop coughing. She also had felt cold.

Last year, Stanley's brother collapsed in a bathroom at the hospital.

'Crying on the bathroom floor'

Stanley said he had gone to visit him at the hospital and found him crying on the bathroom floor.

"He said he fell and banged his head against the wall because nobody helped him when he wanted to have a bath," he said.

He said his brother had been weak as he was in the last stages of Aids.

"The hospital was negligent because no one monitored him and accompanied him to the bathroom, even though he was weak and unable to walk properly," said Stanley.

Bedsores became septic

In 2005, Stanley's mother Rossina was admitted after she had a stroke. She then developed bedsores, which became septic.

"She was in hospital for two months and nobody bothered turning her in the bed, so she developed bedsores," he said.

"I used to visit her almost every day and always found her lying on the same side. My complaints were not taken into consideration and then she died," he said.

Stanley said the family was finalising his aunt's funeral arrangements and had called a lawyer on Thursday to discuss the possibility of suing the department if it failed to give them satisfactory answers in the next three months.

"The whole family is very upset. We ask ourselves what we did wrong to deserve such treatment from the hospital," he said.

"We have agreed to give them a short time to look into this matter and come back to us before we start with the legal process."

Health spokesperson Phuti Seloba was aware of the family's claims.

"The family's allegations have been brought to our attention. We have already advised them to come and lodge a formal complaint at the hospital and we will take the matter from there," he said.

- African Eye