Traumatised patients at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital have complained of appalling services in a gynaecology ward after a doctor allegedly shoved a patient and told her she “would not make it” back from theatre. The woman died a few hours later.
The allegations of abuse and poor medical services against the doctor, whose name is known to the Daily Dispatch, were made after she allegedly shoved the patient due to go to theatre on Monday morning.
She allegedly told the patient who died the same day that “she would not make it”. The patient cannot be named as some of her family members have not been informed of the death.
The hospital’s chief executive, Dr Mthandeki Xamlashe, confirmed an investigation was under way concerning the allegations against the said doctor.
“I am dealing with all the allegations labelled against her and if she is found to have been negligent or responsible for any of the allegations, we will put her on hold,” Dr Xamlashe said.
“If she will still continue to practice, that will have to be decided by the Health Professions Council of South Africa after an investigation has been done.”
Five patients who spoke to the Daily Dispatch yesterday alleged the doctor came into their section of the ward looking for the patient and started shouting: “You are weak and coughing. Theatre is not for sick people, you will not make it. You will not come back from theatre”.
Patient Phelokazi Fefe said it was just after 8am on Monday. “We were all shocked by the way she addressed that lady. She was rough and said she would not even give her counselling, she would get it at the theatre.”
Xamlashe said they were still waiting for the postmortem results to determine how the woman had died.
Patient Phumla Nongwe was among those who reported the doctor to authorities. She was admitted on June 5 and had surgery on June 8.
A few days after the operation, her stitches burst open.
Nongwe now lies in hospital with a large, open wound.
“I have a personal problem with her . She did my operation and on the fourth day, the stitches started popping and I started bleeding.
“The matter was reported to her by the other doctors and she was asked to come and see the mess she had done but she never bothered to come,” she said.
A delegation from provincial health was sent to investigate the matter at CMH yesterday.
Health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said if an investigation found the allegations were true, action would be taken against the doctor.
“She still works for the department. We can’t fire people simply because there are allegations levelled against them. There are processes that need to be followed and we must allow the processes to unfold,” Kupelo said. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
Hospital to probe ‘abusive doctor’
The allegations of abuse and poor medical services against the doctor, whose name is known to the Daily Dispatch, were made after she allegedly shoved the patient due to go to theatre on Monday morning.
She allegedly told the patient who died the same day that “she would not make it”. The patient cannot be named as some of her family members have not been informed of the death.
The hospital’s chief executive, Dr Mthandeki Xamlashe, confirmed an investigation was under way concerning the allegations against the said doctor.
“I am dealing with all the allegations labelled against her and if she is found to have been negligent or responsible for any of the allegations, we will put her on hold,” Dr Xamlashe said.
“If she will still continue to practice, that will have to be decided by the Health Professions Council of South Africa after an investigation has been done.”
Five patients who spoke to the Daily Dispatch yesterday alleged the doctor came into their section of the ward looking for the patient and started shouting: “You are weak and coughing. Theatre is not for sick people, you will not make it. You will not come back from theatre”.
Patient Phelokazi Fefe said it was just after 8am on Monday. “We were all shocked by the way she addressed that lady. She was rough and said she would not even give her counselling, she would get it at the theatre.”
Xamlashe said they were still waiting for the postmortem results to determine how the woman had died.
Patient Phumla Nongwe was among those who reported the doctor to authorities. She was admitted on June 5 and had surgery on June 8.
A few days after the operation, her stitches burst open.
Nongwe now lies in hospital with a large, open wound.
“I have a personal problem with her . She did my operation and on the fourth day, the stitches started popping and I started bleeding.
“The matter was reported to her by the other doctors and she was asked to come and see the mess she had done but she never bothered to come,” she said.
A delegation from provincial health was sent to investigate the matter at CMH yesterday.
Health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said if an investigation found the allegations were true, action would be taken against the doctor.
“She still works for the department. We can’t fire people simply because there are allegations levelled against them. There are processes that need to be followed and we must allow the processes to unfold,” Kupelo said. — mamelag@dispatch.co.za
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