Man dies after 10-hour wait for scan - DA
2012-11-23 20:03
Johannesburg - A 67-year-old man died after he had to wait more than 10 hours to be diagnosed by a CAT scan, the Democratic Alliance said on Friday.
DA Gauteng health spokesperson Jack Bloom said the man was originally admitted with a head injury at Leratong Hospital in Krugersdorp on Thursday.
The CAT (Computer Axial Tomography) scanner at Leratong had been broken for more than 10 weeks, he said.
"The request to transfer him to Rahima Moosa to use their CAT scanner came at 10am yesterday (Thursday), but he only arrived there at 8pm," Bloom said.
"He died an hour later, before a radiologist arrived to do the CAT scan."
Health department spokesperson Simon Zwane said the man had lung cancer and an investigation had been initiated to determine the cause of death.
"What Bloom is saying is speculation and as a person without medical background he is not fit to pronounce on the cause of death of patients," Zwane said.
Bloom said TecMed had refused to fix the Leratong CAT scanner as the Gauteng health department owed them money.
"The broken CAT scanner at Leratong Hospital is a scandal and must be fixed as soon as possible before more preventable deaths occur," Bloom said.
- SAPA
