Sister Gumede - City Hospital Durban

On Wednesday, 31 July 2019 my mother, Sindisiwe Buthelezi underwent surgery (hemorrhoidectomy). On Thursday morning my mother woke up feeling a lot of pain. She rang the bell and Sister Gumede arrived, read my mother's file and attempted to inject my mother via the IV line that had already been inserted on my mother's arm but it leaked. Sister Gumede gave up and left without administering pain ****ers via the IV as she'd intended to. My mother was left still feeling pain. My mother then had to visit the loo for the first time after the operation after which she experienced excruciating pain. On her return from the loo, she tried to get back onto the bed but couldn't. She fell onto the floor and the other patients rang the bell to call nurses to assist. A student nurse came, helped her off the floor and reported the matter to Sister Gumede who instructed the student nurse to do what Sister Gumede could not do earlier which was to administer pain medications via IV. The student nurse did it without being supervised. When doctor Gafoor ( my mother's doctor) arrived my mother told the doctor what had happened and he called Sister Gumede who arrived with a lot of bad attitude. Sister Gumede denied everything and claimed that it was the doctor who had left instructions for my mother to not be given pain medication. The doctor denied that and showed Sister Gumede what he had written on the file, which was that pain medication had to be given to my mother as soon as she expressed pain complaints. Sister Gumede still showed a bad attitude and my mother told her that she (Sister Gumede) was full of herself when all she had to do was apologise. Sister Gumede then left without another word to neither my mother nor Dr Gaffor and banged the door on her way out.

This kind of behaviour is unacceptable and highly unprofessional. I was under the impression that hospitals of this calibre employed people who shared the same values (high level of service and professionalism) and value human life but Sister Gumede proved this perception otherwise. We were extremely disappointed with this kind of behaviour and service.