A Kimberley family says it is devastated after they were not notified about the death of their loved one for almost a month by officials at the Robert Sobukwe Hospital.
Maria Masinga’s relatives say the last time they saw her alive was on June 16.
They add that they were refused entry to the hospital every time they attempted to visit her or check up on her well-being.
Now, records show that Masinga died a day after she was admitted to the state-run hospital in Kimberley.
Her sister, Johanna Moilwa, says there are no records of Masinga’s time of death nor of the hospital personnel who handled her.
“I’m hurt, I am heartbroken. I don’t even know what to say. If you could look inside me, you’d know how I am feeling. I am hurt. I feel sorry for her children. Imagine me telling them that their mother has been dead for over a month. If I feel like this, how are the children feeling,” asks Moilwa.
When asked for comment, the provincial Department of Health said it was still investigating the matter.
Meanwhile, Masinga’s other sister, Kelebogile Kobote, says the family wants answers.
“Did they kill her or what? Because there’s [a] record that shows who was in charge on the day of her death. So now what must we say or think when things are like this? What is our government saying? Department of health, we need your help in this situation,” explains Masinga.
Visiting hours at all public health facilities in the country were suspended in March due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
Also, two Johannesburg families are demanding answers from the Gauteng Health Department.
One family claims their mother died after contracting COVID-19 at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital. She was admitted for an unrelated health problem early last month. The other family alleges negligence at the Tembisa Hospital.
In the video below, a relative explains what happened to their mother:
Medical negligence claims
Medical negligence is one of the issues that continue to dog the South African health system.
In 2015, the South African government reportedly paid out R498 964 916.72 in medical negligence claims.
In Gauteng, claims increased to R29bn in the 2018/19 financial year.
The Mpumalanga Health Department is currently facing litigation cases of over R10 billion.
There are said to be at least 29 new claims, totaling R580 million, for the 2018/2019 financial year.
The video below, is a report on the Mpumalanga cases:
