The Gauteng Department of Health (GDoH) says it will investigate allegations made by a social media user by the name of Mr Tom London who made several allegations against Helen Joseph Hospital.
According to this user, the hospital treats its patients like cockroaches. This man, who is also a patient at the hospital, in a video posted on social media said he has not seen a doctor come to a patient and greet them like a human.
“I have not seen in my ward any one doctor who has come up to a patient and greeted them. They treat them with absolute disrespect.
“This is from a Wits medical intern, all the way up to senior doctors. I have never seen a level of disrespect against human beings such as this in my entire life.
“Yesterday, I was taken down for a CT scan, to check if I have cancer. I was brought back up a few hours later. They came back and said they had a mistake and I went back down ...
“Yesterday, a young blonde doctor comes to my bed, looks at me and ignores me and starts writing in my file for ten minutes and then announces that Dr Pillay is no longer my doctor and I have been assigned a new doctor,” he said.
Tom London has alleged that since being assigned a new doctor, he had not seen his new doctor for more than 48 hours.
“A young doctor told me Dr Pillay has assigned his less complicated patient to a new doctor. I have not seen that doctor for 48 hours.
“Dr Pillay, you came and spoke to me just two days ago and said we are going to look at each other awkwardly until my CT scan, but now you have ducked...
“The doctor who comes to me treats me with absolute disrespect ... No doctor here calls you by name.
“Every doctor here assumes you are homeless person who has come from the street. The doctors are behaving like patients here are their little experiments,” he added.
Using his phone, London took a tour of the facility, exposing malfunctioning taps, peeling ceiling boards and broken plug points, among other infrastructure challenges.
Reacting to some of these allegations -- which have trended on social media -- the provincial health department on Saturday said the matter is being investigated to establish the facts and attend to the issues raised by the complainant.
“While the matter is being investigated it important to note that the department, nine months ago, launched a provincial campaign called I Serve With A Smile’, which is aimed at improving staff attitude and patient experience of care.This programme is currently being rolled out to facilities.
“Furthermore, the GDoH has established an internal Infrastructure Unit which has now developed a maintenance and refurbishment programme,” the department said.
The department has also revealed that after completing ICU wards at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Dr George Mukhari Academic Hospital, and Jubilee District Hospital as well as refurbishments at Kopanong Hospital, Helen Joseph and other facilities will also be receiving attention.
“The department urges patients to report their complaints to the quality assurance offices located at each facility when they are not happy with the service they are receiving.
“Alternatively patients can directly report their complaint to the GDoH Quality Assurance office at head office,” the department added.
The Star