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65 Year Old Patient Instructed to Urinate in a Blanket

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Dear MyPE

I have submitted questions to the MEC for Health, Dr Phumza Dyantyi, regarding the maltreatment of Mr Donovan Nolan who was admitted to the Dora Nginza Hospital on 24 February 2018.

On the day that he arrived at the Hospital, Mr Nolan was transferred to a steel trolley without a mattress, blanket or pillow. The sides of the trolley were broken, cardboard was used for shoulder support and old used bandages were used to reattach the dangling steel supports on the trolley.

The following morning, staff only attended to the patient at around 11:00. He was subsequently sent for x-rays and allegedly instructed to urinate in a blanket due to a shortage of bed pans!
The condition of the toilets in the men’s ward was horrendous. The toilets had no seats and the floor was littered with blood stained bandages and dirty gauze.

When the family returned to the hospital they were appalled to find the duvet drenched in urine and asked staff to provide Mr Nolan with a suitable alternative as there were no bed pans available. The staff members who were on duty failed to comply with this request.

When Mr Nolan asked for water, he was given half a bottle of water that another patient had left behind.

Such treatment of a 65 year old patient is unacceptable and smacks of understaffing and poor provisioning. Our patients deserve caring, reliable treatment at state facilities.

The Eastern Cape Department of Health (DOH) has proven time and time again that it is unable to provide dependable health care in this province. The DA recommends a Total Change for the Department in which all our patients are guaranteed reliable, efficient service.

The DA in the Eastern Cape will not take another DOH commitment to service delivery seriously until we receive the much mentioned – but never delivered – complete new Department of Health organogram.

Regards

Celeste Barker

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Port Elizabethan

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