" A world class facility with state-of-the-art medical equipment and technology"

<p>Sir!</p> <p><br />I was taken away when I opened up the Netcare St Augustine web page and a striking caption in bold reads out :</p> <p><br />" A world class facility with state-of-the-art medical equipment and technology"</p> <p><br />Unfortunately this was not the case when I had the misfortune of visiting your hospital. This is my story:</p> <p><br />On Thursday the 19th May I had suffered chest pains to the left side just under my breast. After being convinced by a well know paramedic whom has business relationships with your hospital I took up the offer at about 19:00 and visited your hospital for a diagnosis and treatment.</p> <p><br />I was excepted with open arms by the night nursing staff and they reassured me and did the usual procedure and prepped me to see the doctor. It wasn't a long wait until a doctor came over and interviewed me. He had a look at the ECG report and the blood report and he was satisfied that it was not a cardiac related problem. He did inform me about this and advised I should see a cardiac doctor to follow up. He then gave me a card for a cardiac specialist. The doctor whom I don't have record of his name but I am sure that would not be hard to retrieve from your duty roster informed me that I should go and buy some pain medication on my way home and take it and I should feel much better. He then asked me if I needed a sick note, which at that stage I did not require one.<br />I was then released at about 22:30.</p> <p><br />I went home and suffered the same pain at around midnight. The pain then continued on Friday and Sa****ay. I felt that I had no reason to go back to the hospital or doctor because a hospital with " World class facilities" tells me that there is nothing then whom am I to complain. I have already paid R1035.90 to be told I must go buy some pain medication and take it.</p> <p><br />On Sunday the 22nd May 2016 at around 22:30 the pain became unbearable and I was left with no option other than to drive from Queensburgh pass St Augustine Hospital all the way to Alberlito Hospital on the North Coast for treatment. I was received by the trauma staff with open arms and the doctor on duty did everything to reassure me. He repeated the process of bloods and ECG which I had already paid R1035.90 for and discovered that it was not cardiac related. He did not tell me that I should take pain medication and go home. What he did do was follow upon the cause and discomfort.</p> <p><br />I was admitted in hospital for observation and a specialist then took over. The cause of my illness was discovered and I was treated in hospital for a full week.</p> <p><br />I believe that if your doctor on duty had followed up on my complaint and just never send me home and tell me to buy pain medication he would have avoided the following:</p> <p><br />1. The unnecessary double billing which had effected my limited day to day benefit which I strive to preserve for the 12 month period.</p> <p><br />2. I would have recovered and been treated earlier and at a short time frame.</p> <p><br />3. My family and loved ones where inconvenienced by having to have to travel from the western suburbs all the way to the northern suburbs daily to monitor my progress. They travelled 124.76km per trip whilst if I was in St Augustine Hospital they would have travelled 25km per trip.</p> <p><br />4. I did receive a survey form from the Netcare Group which I did complete on the 26th May 2016, I took the opportunity to complete it and air my dissatisfaction, I have not heard anything or even an acknowledgement of receipt of my mail.</p> <p><br />5. I do hope that I receive some form of reply regarding this matter.</p> <p><br />Regards</p> <p><br />Desmond Samuel </p> <p> </p> <p>I have sent this letter to the Hospital Manager and still waiting for atleast an acknowledgement.</p>