Horrific standards at Wilgers EC

Good day,

I would like formally lodge a compliant and report on an event that took place at Wilgers EC on Friday night more or less around 20:00.

My mother, Mrs Karin Meintjes, suddenly became critically ill on Friday night. Suspecting that it might have been a cardio issue we chose to bring her to Wilgers. We phoned the EC at around 19:00 to inform them that we are on the way, about 20 min out, with a critcally ill patient. I conveyed that she was presenting with severe symptoms of shock and even listed the symptoms including diap****sis, cold and clammy, decreased GCS and unable to mobilise. The intent of this phone call was to ensure that we would have the needed assisstance upon arrival. We were informed that staff would be notified and would be ready to receive us as time was of the essence.

Upon arrival at the EC a wheelchair had been placed outside the emergency enterance. I assume this was for our use. I asked my father to run inside and get me help to move my mother to the wheelchair - she also had a tibia fracture and is more than twice my size. I would need assisstance in moving her. On route she has also developed respiratory distress and a further decrease in GCS making even more chanllening to mobilise her.

My father found Goitsemang Magana. I am unsure as to her designation as she, like many other staff members on 16 January, was on duty without distinguishing devices and name tags. This on it’s own infringes on patient rights.

My father told her we are here with a critical patient that requires immediate help. She responded by telling him she’ll be with him in a minute and continued with filing tasks. Meanwhile I was struggling to move my mother from the vehicle to wheelchair by myself having only a make shift draw sheet to asisst me. I however managed to get her on the wheelchair just when the staff member arrived.

I immediately started handing over patient symptoms. I informed her that my mother was presenting with confusion, respiratory distress, central and peripheral cyanosis, cold and clammy and abdominal pain. She helped to push my mother to the triage corner of the unit and repeatedly asked for confirmation on the patient’s “main compliant”. Which I honestly find shocking as she could cleary see the absolute horrible condition of my mother. She then informed me that I had to wait with my mother in a cue of several other patients in order to be triaged and obtain a blood pressure reading - joining at the back of the line.

Again this is absolutely shocking that a staff member employed at the flagship hospital of Life in such circumstances could even consider this a viable option. By this time my mom’s feet and mouth had turned blue from the cyanosis. How on earth do you prioritise obtaining a blood pressure on an obviously dying patient?

I asked why it’s necessary to triage if she is obviously a red patient presenting with life threating symptoms. Not to mention her dire need for oxygen. She again told me it’s necessary to triage her before she will be let through. At this point I lost my composure and loudly told her that this is a RED patient in need of immediate emergency care. An unidentified RN, also no distinguishing devices or name tag rushed over and proceeded to take my mother to Resus 2.

Shortly after arrival my mother was intubated and resuscitated. I can truely say Dr Naran did all she could. My mother passed away several hours later after multiple failed resus attempts.

Although I doubt that the actions of Goitsemang Magana contributed to my mother’s death, it most certainly did not aid her in any way.

I find it horrific that this is the manner in which an employee in setting such as Wilgers EC reacts in a emergency. This illustrates to me very poor training and understanding of emergency protocols. This is at the very least borderline negligence and most certainly incompetance.

This is excluding the fact that I had to continuely repeat myself and explain basic medical terminology such as diap****sis to this staff member whislt she attempted to take the patient history. Upon listing the current symptoms she keot asking what the main compliant was as if she had no idea that more that one symptom can form part of the main compliant. My mother was dying and our time was wasted trying to complete simple paperwork whilst she was alone. These prescious minutes were wasted on repeatedly having to explain the same thing over and over.

This is not the level of care I expect from an institution such as Wilgers. She cost us time. Time that could have been spent saving my mother or at least granted her access to immediate emergency care. How poorly trained can a nurse be to not take notice of central and peripheral cyanocis pared with laboured breathing?

This type of attitude has no business being in a high performance unit such as an EC. Time costs lives.

My mother’s outcome might have been the same if we received the immediate care we attempted to arrange even prior to arrival, but this could cost the next patient their life. This level of negligence deserves to be reported to SANC. I am absolutely appauled by what we experienced.

This must be corrected for the safety of future patients. If my father had taken my mother by himself, not having any medical training himself, she would have passed away whislt sitting in a cue.

My father had to in sit a line for nearly an hour just to open my mother’s file, whilst she lay dying. He did not get the opportunity to speak to her before intubation and sedation. Surely there should be a system in place to escalate a case such as this when opening a file? My father was deprived of the last few minutes with his wife of 40 years in order to open a file and sit in a cue.

I would appreciate your urgent attention to this matter and possible feedback.