A patient died a few minutes after she was discharged from an Eastern Cape hospital yesterday morning.
Nomathubela Zondani, 50, of Toleni village near Butterworth drew her last breath just after she left the premises of Butterworth Hospital.
She was admitted on Sunday with her body swollen, complaining of a struggle to breathe.
Her distraught family is now blaming the “poor service” at the hospital for her death.
The family believes that had she not been “sent home to die”, Nomathubela would still be alive.
Her grieving sister, Dakazana Zondani, said she arrived at the hospital yesterday to visit after she was told that her sister was in hospital.
“When I arrived I found her sleeping on a bench in the OPD area,” she said.
Dakazana said she then took her sister’s medical folder to get medication at the dispensary.
“We then left the hospital. She was still struggling to walk,” she said.
Dakazana said as they just left the premises of the hospital, her sister complained that she was tired and she wanted to sit.
“I then poured her a drink. After she drank she lay on her side and that was it,” she said.
A nurse – who spoke to the Daily Dispatch on condition of anonymity as she is not authorised to speak with the media – said she was on her way to work when she came across Nomathubela’s lifeless body.
“I tried to assess her pulse rate. It was not there,” the nurse said.
Nomathubela’s other sister, Nosinothi Mankayi, said they were disappointed with how the hospital dealt with their relative.
“I am struggling to have peace because of what happened.
“As trained professionals, the health workers at the hospital could have picked up that she was not in a position to be sent home.
“It is like they did not put any effort to save her life,” she said.
The family said they also felt let down by the police as they were told that they had to make their own arrangements to have the body removed and taken to a mortuary.
Dakazana said they were told by hospital staff that because Nomathubela died outside the facility’s premises, nothing could be done for them.
Police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha said: “We only respond to death cases when it is crime-related.
“When it comes to natural deaths the family is responsible for transporting their deceased relatives.”
At the time of writing provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “We are still still gathering information on what happened and at the moment we do not have details of what happened.” — sinom@dispatch.co.za
Patient drops dead on leaving hospital
Nomathubela Zondani, 50, of Toleni village near Butterworth drew her last breath just after she left the premises of Butterworth Hospital.
She was admitted on Sunday with her body swollen, complaining of a struggle to breathe.
Her distraught family is now blaming the “poor service” at the hospital for her death.
The family believes that had she not been “sent home to die”, Nomathubela would still be alive.
Her grieving sister, Dakazana Zondani, said she arrived at the hospital yesterday to visit after she was told that her sister was in hospital.
“When I arrived I found her sleeping on a bench in the OPD area,” she said.
Dakazana said she then took her sister’s medical folder to get medication at the dispensary.
“We then left the hospital. She was still struggling to walk,” she said.
Dakazana said as they just left the premises of the hospital, her sister complained that she was tired and she wanted to sit.
“I then poured her a drink. After she drank she lay on her side and that was it,” she said.
A nurse – who spoke to the Daily Dispatch on condition of anonymity as she is not authorised to speak with the media – said she was on her way to work when she came across Nomathubela’s lifeless body.
“I tried to assess her pulse rate. It was not there,” the nurse said.
Nomathubela’s other sister, Nosinothi Mankayi, said they were disappointed with how the hospital dealt with their relative.
“I am struggling to have peace because of what happened.
“As trained professionals, the health workers at the hospital could have picked up that she was not in a position to be sent home.
“It is like they did not put any effort to save her life,” she said.
The family said they also felt let down by the police as they were told that they had to make their own arrangements to have the body removed and taken to a mortuary.
Dakazana said they were told by hospital staff that because Nomathubela died outside the facility’s premises, nothing could be done for them.
Police spokesman Captain Jackson Manatha said: “We only respond to death cases when it is crime-related.
“When it comes to natural deaths the family is responsible for transporting their deceased relatives.”
At the time of writing provincial health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said: “We are still still gathering information on what happened and at the moment we do not have details of what happened.” — sinom@dispatch.co.za
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