Image: 123RF/Dario Lo Presti
A man who was allegedly denied treatment by Cofimvaba Hospital nurses afraid of the coronavirus has died.
Lungisa Qinisile, 60, was admitted to the hospital after falling ill two weeks ago. He suffered from a chronic condition.
His distraught niece, Busisiwe Ntsaluba, told DispatchLIVE the family had been informed he had died at about 4am on Saturday as result of kidney failure.
“We got the news after we tried calling the hospital,” she said.
“They told us they had tried to phone my other uncle with the news, but his phone was on voicemail.”
Last week, a furious Ntsaluba said they were shocked to find “six to seven” nurses sitting in a room wearing protective masks, who would not help them when they asked which ward Qinisile had been admitted to.
She said when they eventually got to the right ward they saw a patient who was sleeping “across the middle of the bed with his feet dangling [over one side]". The patient turned out to be her uncle.
She said he was wearing hospital pyjamas that looked as if they had been dirty for days. His mouth was covered in dried vomit and he was shaking as if he was cold.
She said one of the nurses told them they were scared to contract Covid-19 as they suspected that a patient who had been admitted to the same ward had it.
Ndaba Qinishile, Lungisa Qinisile's younger brother, said the family had lodged a formal complaint with health MEC Sindiswa Gomba about the “shocking” treatment by the hospital.
“For a person who is ill, obviously his emotions are also affected. It [poor treatment] affects them emotionally, which in turn affects their ability to heal. Psychologically, he was not in a good state,” Ndaba said.
He is concerned for other patients who may find themselves in a similar situation at the hospital.
He said the family hoped for a full investigation into his brother's death. They want to petition the health portfolio committee in the Bhisho legislature to launch a probe into public hospitals.
Questions were sent to provincial health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo on Monday.
He had not responded to them by print deadline.