On Saturday, 04/01/2025, my 76-year-old mother fell and broke her hip. I called for an ambulance because I could not get her into my car to take her to the hospital.
Two hours later, the ambulance finally arrived to take her to the hospital—this was at 9 PM.
I waited there until after midnight, but my mother had still not been attended to. Eventually, they told me to go home.
The next morning, Sunday, 05/01/2025, at 7 AM, I went to the hospital to bring my mother’s chronic medication, only to be stopped by a security guard who seemed to think the hospital belonged to her and that everyone had to follow her orders. After throwing her weight around, she begrudgingly granted me entrance—for only five minutes. At this point, no one had attended to my mother yet. I was told that I was not allowed to see her while she was in the emergency unit.
On Monday morning, 08/01/2025, I started calling to find out what was happening with my mother. Each time, the phone rang, and when someone finally answered, they would say nothing and then hang up. I called 21 times before someone actually spoke to me.
At 2 PM that afternoon, after getting no answers over the phone, I drove to the hospital to find out what was going on. Only then was I informed that my mother had been admitted, that her hip was fractured, and that she would need a hip replacement. I was finally allowed to see her. She was dehydrated, delirious, and barely coherent when I asked her questions. Fortunately, I had brought all her chronic medication with me so she could finally receive what she needed.
I said my goodbyes and promised to visit again that evening. I checked the hospital’s website for visiting hours, which stated 7 – 8 PM. When I arrived, I was greeted by the same security guard with an attitude. She refused me entry, claiming that visiting hours were actually 7:15 – 8:15 PM. She then turned to her co-worker and began speaking about me in Xhosa, assuming I wouldn’t understand. Unfortunately for her, I do. When I confronted her, she just looked at me as if to say, “F--- you.”
I was finally allowed to see my mother. She was in severe pain, and not a single nurse seemed to care.
She was eventually operated on Friday, 10/01/2025. That means she was left in pain for almost a full week.
On Monday, 13/01/2025, I was told she would be discharged. I called the doctor and asked if she could be transferred to the Step-Down Ward, as she would struggle to step onto our porch, which has a high step. I was told, “No, she can manage with the walker she was using”
That Monday night at 9 PM, after waiting for over an hour, I took her home. As expected, she fell trying to step onto the porch.
Follow-up Appointments and More Negligence
On 27/01/2025, I took my mother for a check-up. She also had an appointment for her chronic medication at another section of Karl Bremer Hospital.
The receptionist assured me that the nurse would see the note in my mother’s file and prioritize her so that we could make it to her outpatient appointment on time. We waited from 6 AM until 12 PM, and still, only X-rays had been taken.
I had had enough. I tracked down a wonderful lady and explained the situation to her. She clearly gave the orthopedic nurse a piece of her mind because suddenly, the nurse turned her attitude on me. She attacked me, demanding to know why I hadn’t informed her about my mother’s outpatient appointment. I told her it was in the file—she just needed to check. But this woman doesn’t give anyone a chance to speak—she just barks orders and struts around as if she owns the department. I decided to let it go for my mother’s sake so that she could finally be seen.
My question is. Is it my responsibility to ensure that your do your job correctly?
I was told to bring my mother back today, 06/03/2025, for another check-up.
This morning, we arrived, took her X-rays, and then sat down to wait for her to be seen.
Three hours later, I quickly went to the hospital restaurant to buy something for my mother and me. During this time, my mother was called, but no one bothered to take her in—they told her to wait for me to return.
When I got back, I took her to the doctor, who told me to stand at a specific spot and wait. Then, the same rude nurse walked in and started berating me for standing there, ordering me to wait outside. So I took my mother outside. Then she came back with more attitude, saying I was in the way and needed to go to the waiting room.
When my mother was finally called again, the doctor told me to stand in the exact spot where the nurse had just chased me away from. When I pointed this out, he refused to listen—because, how dare I challenge their rudeness?
When we finally entered the office, I calmly tried to explain that this wasn’t the first time this nurse had been rude and that she acts as if the department belongs to her.
His response? “I’m not going to stand here and let you talk about my staff that way. They work all day without breaks until after 6 PM, with no overtime. If you have an issue, take it up with hospital administration.”
Dear Doctor No-Name (because they never introduce themselves),
I don’t care about your excuses. The night before, I worked from 5 AM until 9 PM, also with no overtime. But if I treated my clients the way you and your staff treated us, I would be fired. That’s how the private sector works.
Being understaffed does not give you the right to treat people like dirt. Even in the private sector, we are understaffed, but we are still expected to act professionally.
When my mother complained that she does not feel safe with the walker supplied his response was that we must then go to MKem & buy a better one.
He also said to me that if I'm not happy with their service to go find a new doctor, knowing full well that this is not an option for their patients.
Believe me. If I could afford it, my mother would have been under the care of a private specialist a long time ago. She never would have been taken to Karl Bremer Hospital in the first place.
Final Thoughts
As a taxpayer, I am sick and tired of the way poor people, without medical aid or stable income, are treated in government hospitals. Gone are the days when hospital staff cared about their patients.
So, dear Doctor No-Name, I have a question for you:
If your working environment is so terrible, then why are you still there? Are you not good enough for the private sector? Or is this just a cushy government job where you don’t actually have to work for a living—just throw your weight around and intimidate vulnerable patients and their families?
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