Appalling service from Dr AM Lubega's practice

We called the office of Dr AM Lubega (Gynaecologist) to try and book an appointment for our first prenatal care check-up. On our first and second attempts, during business hours, the phone rang and went unanswered. To be clear, we let some time pass between attempts. On our third attempt the phone was picked up and immediately hung-up. This should have been our first red light.

We managed to get through on our fourth attempt and successfully booked an appoint for Friday 22 February at 12:00. The next day, I called the office again to request that our appointment be rescheduled for 15:00 on the same date. Again it took more than one attempt to get through to the receptionist but in the end the appointment was successfully rescheduled for 22 February at 15:00.

My wife requested prenatal leave from work and we were set to go. On Friday the 22nd (Day of appointment) at around 12:00, the receptionist (Mialazi) called my wife and informed her that Dr Lubega had had an emergency he needed to attend to and that the appointment would be cancelled. She (receptionist) did not apologise for the inconvenience nor offer a way forward. When my wife tried to object, the receptionist rudely cut her off and told her nothing can be done because that's how things are and that was the end of the call. My wife called the office back to voice her frustration and inform the receptionist that it's a great inconvenience as she had taken time off work. The receptionist continued to be unapologetic, rude and unhelpful. When my wife informed her that she would make a complaint with Dr Lubega regarding the appalling service, the receptionist laughed spitefully and invited my wife to go right ahead before abruptly hanging up the phone on my wife.

On Monday 25 February I called the office to request a doctor's note or a letter on my wife's behalf - she refuses to deal with the receptionist again - that acknowledges that she did indeed have an appointment with Dr Lubega the previous Friday so that she may submit it at work and avoid disciplinary action. After merely stating who I was and that we'd had an appointment last Friday, Mialazi (receptionist) interrupted me and went on a long winded soliloquy about how unreasonable my wife was. Goes without saying by now that she offered no apologies. When she had finished, I told her my only concern was a note from the doctor for my wife to submit at her workplace. The receptionist informed me that Dr Lubega was in theatre for the day and wouldn't be coming in. She assured me the doctor would make a note for my wife the next day (Tuesday) and that my wife could - get this - come and collect it. I asked her whether my wife should put in leave again to come collect the note and that's when she asked if we would prefer she email the note. Smart lady. She took my wife's email, I made sure to confirm it was correct, and she assured me she'd email the note on Tuesday.

Today (Tuesday) I attempted to call the office to remind the receptionist that we are awaiting the letter. My calls - six in total from 09:00 to 12:36 - have all gone unanswered. It's after 14:00 and there's still no email with the doctor's note and my calls are not being answered.

There are numerous other appalling attitude and service tidbits and subtle red flags which I have not gone into. I would expressly not recommend that anyone enlist the services of Dr Lubega, especially newly pregnant women for whom stress can be dangerous. I do not believe the receptionist would behave this way if she wasn't empowered by Dr Lubega. I do not believe that Dr Lubega had any emergency on Friday the 22nd. It was Friday and he wasn't waiting for a 3 O'Clock appointment. I believe this is the culture of that practice. My only hope is that one day soon we can get that doctor's note.