By Buziwe Nocuze
A family is upset that the Khayelitsha District Hospital in Cape Town did not make repeated attempts to tell them about the death of their loved one.
The family took their sick relative to the hospital on Wednesday.
“We visited her on Thursday but didn’t go on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, thinking we could visit her on Monday,” a family member said. “We know we were wrong not to visit for three days, but we didn’t have the money.”
When they went to the hospital on Monday, they were shocked to find out their relative had died on Friday.
“We were surprised because she was eating again when we saw her on Thursday. We asked why the hospital didn’t tell us she had passed away,” the family member said.
“It’s not that we didn’t care, but the hospital should have told us. One nurse said they tried calling on Friday but couldn’t reach us. Why didn’t they try again on Saturday, Sunday, or Monday?” they asked.
“If there was a network problem, why didn’t they keep trying to contact us? What they did hurt us, and we hope it doesn’t happen to other families,” the family member added.
Abulele Dyasi, the hospital’s spokesperson, said the hospital tried calling the family several times on Friday but couldn’t reach them.
“We send our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased,” Dyasi said.
Pictured above: The Khayelitsha District Hospital is accused of failing to inform the family about the death of their relative.
Source: Buziwe Nocuze
