Worst service ever and bill thereafter

Arrogance in sending me a bill which my medical aid didn’t pay because their driver played doctor on the scene and failed to take my wife for proper treatment resulting in her nearly dying three days later!!!

After being diagnosed with a positive Covid infection, my wife’s condition worsened from day one following her diagnosis on 23.06.2021. Her first round of medication was ineffective and she had to receive a second round of medication.

On 29.06.2021, her condition was very bad as she struggled tremendously to breath. I phoned our GP for advice but he was busy and the receptionist agreed that he would phone back. At about 11:00 I ended up going to Emfuleni Medi-Clinic’s casualty but was told to wait in the parking lot in the car until there was space for her in casualty for a consultation. At 12:03 I phoned the GP again but he was still busy. After about two hours waiting in the car, our GP finally phoned back with some treatment advice. He further said that if her condition worsened, that I should rather phone EMS to pick her up at home, that way she would receive Oxygen while waiting for a bed. Otherwise, she would have to wait in the car again with no treatment while waiting for a spot in casualty.

His treatment advice did not work immediately and she got worse. Just before 17:00 I phoned ER24 who agreed to send an ambulance. By 19:05 they still didn’t come and we were getting desperate and I had to phone ER24 again. At 19:24 the ER24 call centre phoned me to apologise and said that an ambulance was on its way.

When the ambulance eventually arrived, we had to walk out to the ambulance while the driver and crew stared at us through their windscreen. We walked all the way to the ambulance with them just looking at us. I told them that my wife was having difficulty breathing. They could see and hear for themselves. The crew member, the skinny guy took my wife to the back of the ambulance and checked her vitals. According to them, her vitals were normal. I told them that the SATS machine that we bought showed her oxygen level had fallen below 70%. The driver, the bigger guy then said that their equipment is some of the best money can buy and showed that her oxygen level was perfect at 100%.

He then proceeded to tell me that the reason why they kept on sitting in the ambulance was that they couldn’t believe that the call was for a COVID case because normally the patients they have to pick up are so weak that they have to be picked up from the bed and carried to the ambulance. The driver then told me that it would be a waste of time to take her to hospital as they would just put her on oxygen and send her home. I realised that the driver was trying to make excuses not to take my wife to hospital and I asked if this would not be the best course of action anyway. He explained that he did not want to refuse taking my wife as it is our choice but again stated that she would just end up being sent home anyway. I then realised that sending my wife with them would be a waste of time as they clearly were trying to make excuses not to be stuck with a patient in the ambulance at the hospital while waiting for a spot at casualty. This whole time they also didn’t even touch the oxygen. My wife and I then caved when we realised we were wasting our time with the ambulance crew and allowed them to leave. Just before leaving, the driver gave my wife a form to sign and said that we should phone again if there was any further problems, adding that next time they would have to take my wife to hospital as my medial aid would not pay for a second call out if she is not taken to hospital. I didn’t even reply to the lazy imbecile and we went inside. It was a tough night and a rough couple of days until we managed to get her admitted at Cormed hospital on 03.07.2021.

I remember the doctor looking at me as if I was the worst husband on the planet when I took her in. I was told that she was in very bad shape and that she should have been admitted days ago.

Now following all of this, ER24 sends me a bill for the call out!!!! What call out? You took ages to come and then did everything you could not to take her to hospital which caused further unnecessary suffering!

I am sending this to your head office and I will further forward this to Polmed to lodge a complaint against you as their contracted service provider if you pursue this bill and payment any further.