*********** Arrogant staff - Poor service Delivery. We and family members as patients pay your salary!) Go figure for about R50 000 in hospital per day! Sending a severely rehydrated child back home, had to take her back about one hour after being discha

We pay 1000's for healthcare in South Africa, Literally leaving our lives in *********** staff's hands, it seems. WHAT is becoming of SA! See e-mail send to Life Healthcare below, weeks ago, twice, STILL NO REPSONSE BACK!

Good day. Subject: Complaint Regarding Poor Service Delivery at Life Ancron Hospital, Klerksdorp

To Whom It May Concern,

I am writing to lodge a formal complaint regarding the poor standard of care my daughter, Emone Joubert, Id: ***, ***, received at Life Ancron Hospital, Klerksdorp ER on Friday evening, 22 August 2025, and during her subsequent admission. This experience has left me deeply concerned, angry, and disappointed in the level of care provided by both the doctor and the nursing staff in especially ward C.

1. First ER Visit – Friday Evening (19:00 – 00:00) My daughter was taken to your ER at around 19:00 with severe diarrhoea and persistent vomiting, unable to keep even a sip of water down.

We initially suspected food poisoning, from something she ate that morning, and as nobody else in the household (five people in total) became ill, and we were almost sure that is was not contagious diarrhoea.

The admissions staff were excellent — fast, efficient, and very helpful. I am grateful for their professionalism. (The doctor on call and especially nurses were very friendly and helpful)

However, the medical treatment given was inadequate: (This is my biggest concern for your future patients)

She was administered medication for stomach pain, a vitamin booster, something for stomach ulcers, and possibly nausea.

Nothing at all was given to stop the diarrhoea.

At 00:00 (midnight), she was discharged, despite still feeling nauseous, in pain, and weak.

2. Return to ER – Saturday Morning (01:30 – 04:00) By 01:30, her condition had worsened. I rushed her back to the ER as she was now severely dehydrated, disoriented, and unable to drink even water.

Blood tests showed her red blood count, hemoglobin, and hematocrit levels were too high — flagged results that the doctor explained I think, cannot remember, not a doctor to remember the jargon, but I think he explained it as polycythemia. I later researched this and confirmed that this can occur due to severe dehydration or, in other cases, a serious blood disorder. ( He mentioned the condition and said that her blood is high) Did not really understand, I took photos of the blood work and investigated myself!

Her heart rate was very high, which the nurses on duty confirmed. This was a result of severe hydration etc.

Given these results, my daughter should have been admitted immediately during the first visit. I feel that discharging her in her condition was reckless and dangerous. She felt a bit better, but was still very weak.

At about 1:30-2:00 pm I had to rush her back to ER again! So now the medical aid is billed TWICE for an emergency admission. As she was still throwing up, and the diarrhea and nausea got even worse now.

Only now, at around 04:00, was she finally admitted. By this point, she was extremely weak and distressed.

3. Admission and Overnight Care Failures Once admitted, I expected her condition to be carefully monitored and treated. Instead, she was largely left to cope on her own:

She was still experiencing ongoing diarrhoea and vomiting, yet I feel that no proper medication was given to stop the severity of these symptoms. And she got even weaker!

The nursing staff failed to escalate her continued condition to the doctor on shift, despite her repeatedly reporting her ongoing diarrhoea and nausea.

It seemed that after being admitted, she was simply left there without proactive care. Only vitals were taken.

4. Hygiene and Dignity Neglect When I returned at 11:00 am the next morning, (during visiting hours) and after my daughter phoned me earlier the morning, I was horrified:

My daughter was pale as a sheet, so weak she could not stand.

There was a foul smell in the room, caused partly by a broken toilet in the ward that did not flush. Despite me and my daughter both reporting it, it was not fixed that day. We had to manually flush it during visiting hours.

Even worse, the foul smell in the room, AND YOU COULD IMMEDIATELY SMELL IT as you walked into her room, was also due to my daughter that had soiled herself in bed, due to her weakness and disorientation. By the time I arrived, the soiling was already dry and hard. This means she had not been checked, cleaned, or assisted by any staff. I mean she is sick, and out of it. She did not even realise she was soiled!

I had to personally wash and clean my daughter in bed. She was too weak to bathe. Only after I complained did staff offer to assist — but this should never have been left to reach such a point. A basic level of nursing care should have ensured she was checked and cleaned regularly. (She had diarrhea???)

I also requested a sanitary pad for my daughter to help her manage her diarrhoea accidents until I could bring supplies later. The nurse in a white uniform who I spoke to brushed me off, saying she would “look,” and never returned with one, or even just had the decency to come and tell me that she cannot help me as they do not have any??? I was ignored, and had to improvise with toilet paper until I could fetch pads at 15:00.

5. Lack of Compassion and Professionalism Throughout this ordeal, some of the staff showed unacceptable attitudes when I raised concerns. Your staff cannot, cannot get irritated with me as a mother, if I can see my child is even worse than she was when she was admitted! We are not people who would complain for no reason at all.

As a parent, when you see your child deteriorating and suffering, you expect empathy and immediate action — not dismissive behaviour or excuses.

This is not a public facility — this is a private hospital, where our medical aid pays R50,000+ per day. Families are paying for professional, attentive, and compassionate care.

6. Outcome After I complained in person, I did notice an improvement during the 15:00 visiting hours. ( I suppose the doctor was only contacted then!)

However, my argument is simple: I should not have to complain loudly for my child to receive the care that she was already entitled to upon admission.

The blood work results, her continued diarrhoea, vomiting, weakness, and dehydration were clear warning signs. The staff should have acted appropriately without needing intervention from me as her parent.

What I Expect From Life Ancron Hospital I request:

Assurance of corrective action and retraining for your staff, particularly in:

Patient monitoring and escalation of symptoms.

Compassion and responsiveness when families request help, and are not happy. Some people might complain for no reason at all, just being difficult, but in this case, ALL the proof was on the table that there is a problem.

Maintaining basic dignity and hygiene for patients unable to care for themselves!

Final Note This was a deeply traumatic ordeal for my daughter and our family. She was left weak, dehydrated, unattended, and without the dignity of proper nursing care.

No patient — let alone a young woman (18), in such a vulnerable state — should be neglected in this way, particularly in a private hospital setting where families pay dearly for quality healthcare.

I do not need, or want an apology, this is not what this complaint is about. I am just deeply, deeply concerned about staff qualifications, and normal human compassion for sick patients. This is not just a job. People's lives are in their hands, doctors AND nurses! (Twice my daughter's symptoms were not treated according to the severity of her condition.) First in ER and then again in Ward C. I have two children, both of which have been to hospital a few times, including myself. All of this is unacceptable.

Please address your staff, and take the steps needed for your management to address complaints properly, make proper diagnosis, and to call a doctor when you can see a patient is getting worse, so the proper medication can be administered, again, blood work confirmed the dangers! And to ensure no other patient suffers the same neglect, and poor attitude of some of the staff. Unasked for!

Thank you.

Regards, E'Marie (Mother of Emone Joubert)