Netcare Kloof Pretoria Surgical ward *********** and rude unit manager

My cousin is still very ill after a burst appendix and an abscess on her ovaries. She was admitted in the early hours of Monday morning to the Surgical ward S, and the first time a physician came to see her, was on Monday evening after 19:00. She eventually had endoscopies done to look at her stomach and colon. Everything was normal but she had terrible pain in her stomach that spread downwards to her uterus area. She was sent to a gynaecologist who sent her for a scan on Friday, 5 days after she was admitted. They believed that it could be abscesses in the appendix and did an emergency operation on Friday at 10:00 p.m. This cousin is 23 years old, and her parents are living in Bahrain. I had to take off from work the whole week, as her family is far. It was touch and go or she didn't make it.

Her mother arrived this morning after a long trip and when we walked into the ward at 9:30, we asked the nurse whether we could quickly see her, as her mother is here from Bahrain. she didn't even listen to what we said, and just said NO.

We just needed to find keys from the patient to load baggage in her car that was parked at the hospital, but she refused. She just said NO without even trying to listen to what we had to say. She was really rude and had no empathy whatsoever. We talked to the management, and they organised for us to say hello and get the key.

While I waited outside in the hall, that same rude lady came to me to justify her behaviour and insulted me even further. She said she has 36 people to look after, but that is not my problem. I explained to her that she is causing me to lose time off work and asked whether she will be paying me the money I'm losing out on as I'm paid per hour. She insulted me further and said I cannot link money to a child's health. I'm just wondering if she receives a salary. She also accused me of not communicating clearly, and told me I dont have any communication skills. How can I communicate if she doesn't care to listen or hear me outl She clearly needs management training. If she can't handle the heat, she must get out of the kitchen.

I am very disappointed with the unit manager (the rude lady), especially in the surgical ward, as the good treatment we experienced with all the other staff means is overshadowed by her unwillingness to be human and listen to what we had to say.

According to the website visiting hours is from 9:00 to 20:00. We understand that they cannot always allow visitors when they are busy with a patient. I agree with that, but my main concern is the rude attitude with which the so-called unit manager treated us and did not even care to hear us out, and just chased us out.

I am so disappointed with that woman. Replace her.