Gross Negligence, ill-treatment and life-threatening experience at Medi-Clinic Hospital Worcester

I write this review with such a heavy heart, anger, and disappointment regarding a life-threatening experience that I received from Mediclinic Worcester on the night of 29 July 2022 and the night of 31 July 2022.

On 29 July 2022, I was admitted to Mediclinic Worcester for a surgical procedure.

• On the night of 29th July 2022, the nurse that was in charge of changing my drips was rude and treated me with so much disregard, disrespect, and lack of empathy. The nurse was never available to assist me when I need her assistance as I have just gone through a very invasive surgery. Numerous times I requested her assistance and she would rudely tell me that she was busy and would never come back to attend to me even when she was done with her runs. On this night she came and changed my drips in the dark and without putting the lights on to ensure that everything was in order and to ensure my safety. This incident happened the day I had just came out of surgery and she never followed the standard protocol to ensure that the needs of the patient are catered and my drip was properly connected and working.

• On the night of 31 July 2022, a male nurse started the shift and came to my bed wanting to change my drip, I told him that the drip injected or inserted on my hand was leaking as it wasn’t working properly anymore. He then left as someone who was going to fetch a replacement and he informed me that I should wait for him. I waited for about 30 minutes

o I then got off the bed and walked to the corridor to look for him around 21:00 pm and I saw that he was busy with something else which was surprising to me because I was expecting him to finish with me before attending to anyone else and I went back to my ward, thinking that once he is done he will attend me as promised.

o After 22:00 pm I rang the bell and the nurses working with the male nurse responded and informed me that he is still busy he will come when he is free and I then waited. And now I am in so much pain.

o An hour later around 23:00 pm I rang a bell again and again the same nurses came to switch off the bell and told me he will come with he is done with his rounds.

o Just after midnight, 00:00 I followed up again and I was told to wait o I then sent my partner a message alerting her to know what was going on. o Around 01:40 I walk to the front reception asking about the male nurse and none of the three (3) sister nurses could provide a clear response on where he was, I then asked them if he was still in the hospital and they said they don’t know where he was and no one else was willing to assist me. o I then walked back to my ward and took few pictures as evidence to illustrate that no one was working or checking on my ward as all female nursing staff were sitting at the reception and male nurse was nowhere to be found and corridors light were off and other patients were shouting and pressing bell with no help or assistance at all but all they do was to switch off the bell and promise the male nurse will come to assist as they usually say. o At 02:00 am I sent my partner a voice note to let her that I was in pain and no one assisting me and that if anything happened to me or including losing my life, she must know that it was negligence from Mediclinic Hospital. The level of neglect and incompetence I experienced is what we read about in Public hospitals and I was scared for my life. o Around 05:20 the male nurse come into my room smelling alcohol and looked intoxicated and wanted to now change my drip, I refused and told him I cannot let a drunk person to work on me, and then he left. o Few Minutes later after he had left, a white elderly female nurse came to my room to listen to what had happened which I subsequently explained to her. Instead of apologising for the behaviour of her male colleague and she informed me she will investigate the matter and went on to deny that the male nurse wasn’t drunk and she insisted that he was in the ward the whole night and even though I had informed her that I went to look for him two (2) times the previous night and that no one was aware of his whereabouts. After I told her the story again to refute her claim about the whereabouts of the male nurse, she just left and that how I knew she wasn’t been honest about the matter. o Minutes later I had someone was busy outside with my file, when I got out the same white elderly female nurse was writing on my file and I ask her what she was she writing and she told me she was writing what happened on that shift and I told her that she cannot write on my file for that night because nothing was done to me by any member of the hospital and that I was left with lot of pain and trauma.

• 31 July was the day that they removed the drain from my stomach (A pipe that drain water and blood from my body) and the pain was extreme, I nearly died on that night in that hospital and other patients were crying with extreme pains and I hope they survived the night. • We pay medical insurance for peace of mind and to ensure we receive the best healthcare and service, however, what I received falls way short of my expectation and of the institution at the level. Mediclinic has left me with trauma, anger, and so much disappointment. I will report the matter to all the relevant authorities and including SANC and My Medical Aid. I will also take the matter up with the hospital management and I will ensure that consequences management procedures are implemented. • I cannot sleep at night and I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about what I’ve been through in the hands of people that I trusted with my life. • I have videos and photographs that I took on the night of the most traumatic experience of my life.