Netcare Albalito exposed infections and I'll treatment poor service and a health risk

To Whom it may concern,

I trsut this mail will find that you are safe and healthy.

Please see mail trails and official complaint against all parties involved at Netcare customer service for the poor response, service and direct impact from your hospital and the operating professionals operating from your facility such as the doctor who performed the surgery on me , Dr. John De beer.

I would like to start from the beginning from experience in the hospital and further more as attached photos as at 25 August 2020, of the infection in my wound due to the absolute negligence of the medical professionals involved.

Please see my response to Netcare Albalito via my customer survey:

I was admitted to Netcare Albalito on the 14 July at 8am firstly a drip was put in that was so painful and incorrect that once I had seen the doctor later the day after my MRI it was so painful it was removed and the nurse was upset blaming the iodine injected for MRI stating it wasn't her fault it was sore and then removed.

After the MRI I was not attended to or asked for any water or beverage where I eventually was attended to and asked for water and only received it that afternoon around 3.30pm.

I was to be operated on the next day only. After my operation on the 15th July 2020 I was not given ANY advice on how to treat the wound or that I would be dealing with a possible infection or what and how to look after the cut once released by the medical staff.

While in hospital When I requested a bed pan I was given one that messed on my bed and sheeting and was left to sleep in a wet bed for the night till released the next day.

To my knowledge a nurse or a doctor was to check my wound and clean and re-dress before being release which was never done.

Over a month later (41 days to be exact) I'm am sitting with a bad infection occurring ongoing since first reported (Twice communicated to Dr. De Beers rooms and have yet to have any faith restored in my health as I have on numerous occasions lost my trust in commitment to this doctor and service) and do not feel safe in his hands nor the hands of Netcare Albalito and will never set foot there again!

With a completely exposed open wound, with no guidance given on my release to care for the open wound or have it looked at and done before leaving the hospital.

The service was shocking and the lack of aftercare is causing huge financial implications never mind the added health implications , as I am trying to attend to the infected wound out of my care or control, as I have clearly picked up am infection in my wound from poor care from the hospital and aftercare from the doctor who to date has not explained how to take care of this wound as I was only given direction by the physio for the actual leg itself. ( When asking the doctor, as I could not physically go see him last week after my second complaint of infection requesting mailed guidance on how to treat the wound, I was told to just carry on doing what I am doing which was no guidance at all and it is getting worse).

Let me explain further, I was due to see Dr De Beer at Gateway hospital for my 2 week post op check up ( Appointment was made in hospital and communicated on the 16th July 2020 to me to see doctor on the 30th July for my check-up.

I was then called on Monday the 27th July by the doctors rooms at gateway to be notified of a cancellation and they cannot help me any other time other than 8am the following morning at Gateway hospital. Please bear in mind I at this point was still unable to walk let alone drive and was being taken care of by my parents in Richardsbay ( As I live alone my father collected me to assist me as I could not walk or help myself during recovery) and arrangements were made for me to be driven by them to my appointment for check up on the then scheduled Thursday.

After explaining to the receptionist for Dr De Beer that I have made arrangements for my check up and was unable on such short notice now due to not being able to drive be able to see hmi the very next day in Durban, who then advised that I could have a normal GP take a look at the wound as it was said that it was not necessary to see Dr De Beer then ( This already was not fair as he was the operating surgeon and appointment was made well in advance). Never the less instead of seeing a normal GP, I opted to see another orthopaedic surgeon (who works alongside with Dr.De Beer option as a fellow orthopaedic surgeon) to rather do my check up as it was quite an operation and the wound was quite evident ( Attached photos of the removal of the tumour in attached) and would rather have a specialist make sure as I was told THERE MAY BE STITCHES, however there were non present confirmed by the doctor at the appointment.

I was told to keep the wound clean and dressed for the outstanding part of the week and to not let the wound near water as that is highly unrecommended for an open wound and so I assumed that this would be from there on the road to recovery. ( Although something just did not sit right with my wound, we tend to know our own bodies but often do not listen to it)

Boy was I was so wrong! A little over a week later after returning home I immediately noticed the wound did not look great, it started with redness and slight oozing, I immediately cleaned and dressed it and got hold of Dr De Beers rooms ( Again I was never contacted to follow up on any concerns from seeing another doctor or follow up on the check up) to send photos and immediately requested antibiotics as this was a definite sign of infection.

The doctors rooms had sent through a script for antibiotics (Friday 7th August2020) and informed me that should the infected wound not get better or if I was unhappy to please come see Dr De Beer on that Sunday as he would be available at Gateway to take a look for me.

Sunday the 7th August came and the wound had not seemed any better and arranged with my mother to take me to casualties at Gateway urgently as I was not well (I was still unable or permitted to drive due to the surgery).

We had called Gateway to confirm that Dr De Beer was on duty before driving as I reside in Kloof ( Approximately 50km from Umhlanga). We were then informed that he was actually NOT on duty by the hospital and then opted to drive to a local hospital in Hillcrest to be attended to ( They had confirmed that I would need to see the operating doctor should it be a problem from the surgery and was advised to continue with antibiotics until such time as I could see Dr De Beer if it had not cleared). Please understand that this is the second time I have been let down by this Doctor!

The wound seemed to however get smaller in size (Length), but seemed to in the coming few days then start to burn from the inside ( Also assuming its positioning that it was partly to do with the healing process) again I stress, I am a patient and I DO NOT know or was given ANY or SOMETHING at least that would prepare for the healing process, what to except and or most importantly what to do if an open wound infects…

To this day I was not given any guideline from the hospital staff nor Dr De Beer and his rooms of HOW TO TREAT A WOUND nor even after notifying them of infection initially STILL not informed of how to clean it, dress it, care for it further to stop or prevent infection NOTHING!!

Here we are as last week I had complained to his rooms via mail with photos that I was concerned as the wound still seemed infected to me and asked for some assistance. I was then told the doctor tried to call me from a private line which one single call was then missed yes ( I didn’t not know who this was so I could not call back). I was then informed by the doctors room in response to my mail for assistance that the doctor had tried to call and I then explained that due to current work situations I was unavailable however requested a guideline on what to do further for the wound in the interim as I would only be available telephonically from 6pm due to work obligations. They had fair enough said only at this stage that if I was unhappy that they would “squeeze” me in for an appointment to see Dr De Beer at Netcare Albalito the next day but had to be before 12. ( Please bare in mind AGAIN that I am sitting with a painful and open infected wound and to have me drive from Kloof all the way to Balito – at his office in the Netcare hospital ( That I stress again refuse to set foot in as to further infect my wound in my leg) and hence again I requested help electronically ( I am sure that is not difficult as during the Covid pandemic we are all trying to use virtual platforms and to try avoid healthcare facilities here), as you will see in the mail attached I was very “professionally” assisted with a response to “ Keep doing what I am doing” when I explained what my cleaning of my wound currently entails in my own capacity and was not even told further to do so how often, when, how, how long NOTHING).

Yesterday, 24 August I mailed the rooms again explaining that I am in pain and extremely unhappy and concerned and requested help with photos with antibiotics and now I have a worse and more seeping and burning wound ( Which as of today 25 August 2020 has not caused some swelling down my calf).

I was told by the doctors rooms that Dr de Beer was in theatre and she had mailed him my concern with photos and would only “should it be necessary) send her a script but had also informed her that it will only be sometime after 4pm ( mailed early morning for this request), by around 16:35 I sent another mail asking for the URGENT script for antibiotics and was then called shortly after by the doctors rooms to say the doctor had a quick look and my wound is not to be concerned about that it is healing and that I did not need antibiotics however that I must stay away from water and that the doctor would call me between 8am and 9am the next day.

It is the next day, it is today , we are at 25 August 2020 the doctor eventually phoned me after the set time at around 9.30am, he expressed that my wound will heal and will form a dermal layer, he then proceeded to tell me and I highlight this because besides all warnings not to bring the wound near water and too mentioned by his rooms not to do so yesterday, he proceeded to tell me to put savlon in my bath and submerge my wound into the bath of savlon and dry and dress ( Completely different tune to what I was told by the rooms just yesterday apparently on instruction from the doctor himself) and well quite shocking if you ask me that is the worst thing for a open wound in my leg??

I let him finish explaining that the wound is fine and proceeded to tell him NO I am concerned as the wound is burning, it is red, my calf is swelling and the wound is oozing ( I have attached these photos taken last nigh of the seeping wound plaster, wound itself and the leg) and I will continue to do so, so that this this is tracked.

Only once I explained the oozing to him he had said I must come see him on Sunday at Gateway. This is shocking how can I have any trust in a doctor like this with no sense of urgency, lack of interest, not listening, still no assistance with a script for antibiotics in the meantime while I walk around with a painful oozing open wound, not attending to follow up check ups and blatant excuses has me now in fear that something will go very wrong with my leg further and have no alternative but to try get hold of my GP to get antibiotics to try stop the spread of infection.

It is not only about the possibility of losing my leg but is affecting my immune system which in turn as we face an extremely contagious virus pandemic too added to my current health issue of the open wound , so I am not happy at all and I state this mail to you as proof should anything go wrong with my leg or my health and will continue to keep track of my infected wound as it is now affecting me financially, emotionally and physically and from today onwards all other doctors visits pertaining to try and fix this infection caused by your hospital hygiene, care and diligence in cleaning not only my wound before leaving but my dirty bedding, and lack of staff attendance to patients and the absolutely poor, non-existent and frankly unprofessional medical professionals operating from your hospital is appalling.

I refuse to make any further payments towards his rooms or the hospital ( Although up to date and payed well in time to clear amount outstanding at the hospital – see attached statement).

Any payments can now be collected via the infection in my wound and should this affect my work , as I am required to be mobile and should there be any financial or health implications further I will take this further.

I demand a solution and answers as soon as possible on what the way forward is as I am now seeking advise from my GP now incurring further costs at MY expense due to negligence of the operating doctor and the hospital and his rooms and do not trust them any further!

Please feel free to contact me and be sure I will make sure that the relevant parties know how poorly the service is.

Regards

Jessica-lee Pretorius