EK wil graag my teleurstelling uitspreek teenoor die Paarl Hospitaal.
Sondag het ek ’n span sokkerspelers vanaf New Rest naby Wellington na Kraaifontein vergesel vir ’n sokkerwedstryd.
Hiertydens het ’n 20-jarige meisie in die span haar enkel erg beseer.
In Kraaifontein is dit met ’n verband gebind en ons is terug Paarl toe waar ons Paarl Hospitaal toe is omstreeks 20:00. Die enkel was erg geswel en sy was in baie pyn.
Met ons aankoms is ons net in die wagkamer laat wag, sonder enige hulp. Uiteindelik is sy om 09:00 Maandagoggend pynpille aangebied en eers daarna is sy vir x-strale gestuur. Toe is vasgestel dat sy haar enkel gebreek het. Sy moes meer as 12 ure lank wag voordat sy behandeling ontvang het. Die ongevalle-afdeling van dié hospitaal was nie eens só besig nie. Dit is onaanvaarbaar.
Besorgde belastingbetaler
Ethné Julius, spokesperson of the Department of Health, responds: Paarl Hospital’s Emergency Unit was inundated with patients on this particular Sunday as the hospital is the only 24-hour public health facility in Paarl. The increase in patient numbers on public holidays and especially over weekends could increase patient waiting times.She was identified according to the severity of her condition as triage code yellow. This allows for early identification of patients requiring the most urgent care in Medical Emergency Units.
Doctors in the Emergency Unit attended to 185 patients on Sunday of whom 40 percent were “Red/Orange” patients, who required intensive medical treatment.
Ms Dosi was correctly triaged as a “Yellow” patient. Due to the amount of medical cases attended to in the Emergency Unit, the waiting time in this category was 12 hours on that day.
Patients who are in pain should be assisted with pain relief while waiting for the doctor’s consultation. It is unfortunate that this did not take place.
This matter will be taken up with the hospital’s medical staff to ensure it does not occur in the future.
On behalf of the Western Cape Department of Health, I would like to apologise to Ms Dosi for the inconvenience caused.
