The service at Kraaifontein Day Hospital leaves much to be desired, according to a distressed patient who was sent away after a four-hour wait last week.
The patient, who does not want to be named due to a fear of victimisation, visited the day clinic last Monday after she became ill.
“I suffer from diabetes and woke up with a bad rash and swollen legs.
“I was feeling very unwell and was worried about my health, needing to see a doctor,” she said to TygerBurger.
She arrived at the clinic just after 08:00 in the morning.
She was told by a security guard to go stand next to the fence and wait.
“I waited there for quite some time before being told by the rude guard to go to the Covid screening table outside, where there was no temperature device to screen fevers.”
She was then told to take a seat in the waiting area.
“There must have been about 100 patients and the wait was arduous as the nursing staff could not find my file.
“The staff was nothing but rude and I was sent from pillar to post.
“After waiting another three hours I went to the nurse to again ask when I could be seen and was bluntly told that the day hospital can only see 40 patients per day and that it had already reached the limit for the day. Could they not have told me this earlier? Sick or not I was unceremoniously sent home and told to come back the next day,” she says.
The woman asked for an appointment to be set for her the next day, but was greeted with the words ‘come early, first come first served’.”
In response to a media inquiry the provincial health department apologised for the negative experience the woman endured and thanked her for bringing it to the province’s attention.
“Kraaifontein Community Health Centre sees approximately 700 patients per day which consists of those having scheduled follow-up appointments, clients collecting treatments, coming for dressings and more. Inclusive to this are 40 clients per day who do not have appointments scheduled with the facility,” says spokesperson Maret Lesch.
She confirmed that there is currently only one doctor available to see patients.
“The capacity to see unbooked clients are dependent on the availability of doctors. These clients are screened upon arrival by a clinical staff member and their condition is triaged so that clients with more urgent conditions are seen first.
“At present clients cannot make appointments at the facility due to Covid-19, but we are working on implementing an improved appointment booking system which will assist our clients in making bookings with the facility.”
