St Augustine’s Netcare hospital Is the worst.

Yesterday my wife had to go see a gynecologist at St Augustines Netcare hospital in Durban. She had an experience worse than government hospital. She was in extreme pain and could barely walk. I couldn’t assist her, as I was looking after our infant daughter. And trying to soothe her since it was going to be her first time sorry from her mom. Entrance to trauma unit was riddled with construction equipment. No one tried to help the woman ( my wife) who could barely walk and any other hospital would have been assisted with a wheel chair at the very least. The trauma unit was far from the entrance. When she got there it took them nearly 30 minutes to acknowledge her existence. When one nurse was about to take her vitals, another told her not to bother since her referral letter said she needed to see a gynecologist. They dumped her in the waiting area and told her to wait for the gynecologist. Nearly an hour later her majesty the gynecologist arrived and said I don’t know you from a bar of soap you need to pay R1100 upfront plus your medical aid. We happen to be on a capable plan that has been great for most hospital networks, but clearly Netcare is exclusive. It is not there for the black so woman in clear distress. My wife was also told to wait until 12 pm for her majesty to attend to her. Mind you it was 8 am at the time and still no one had bothered to provide the most basic care to my wife nor had they checked with our medical aid provider if we can afford their care, if they were in doubt. Because apparently Netcare can see you can’t afford from just looking at your face. Makes one wonder if you need to be a certain shade to be there. Needless to say we took our business elsewhere and received premium care, inclusive of a golf cart that helped transport her from parking lot to where the medical staff could take care of her. Medical aid authorized everything and my wife received care. Do yourself and your family a favour and avoid Netcare at all cost. You will thank me later.