A Bloemfontein family says they are infuriated over the death of their loved one, Jeremiah Moeca, outside a health facility after asking for medical assistance.
The family say he was allegedly told by security that the clinic was no longer a 24 hour facility and he died on the pavement outside of the clinic gate.
Kelebogile Moeca says the Free State Department of Health has not shown any remorse over her brother’s death.
Moeca says her brother’s incident is not an isolated matter.
“It’s not the first time my brother goes there. First time he went, they helped him and he returned home safely, he was ok but this time, it seems like there was a problem. The security wouldn’t let him to enter the clinic because they say it’s not a 24 hour clinic, for which we don’t know about as the community. As far as we know, it’s a 24 hour clinic, the board says it’s a 24 hour clinic, so we’re surprised to hear that it’s no longer a 24 hour clinic. No one came to tell us it’s no longer a 24 hour clinic, but only when we arrived there as a family. I’m deeply hurt because no one from Batho Clinic or the Department of Health came to us as a family to hear how we feel.”
Meanwhile, the Free State Health Department says thorough public consultations were implemented before a decision was taken in July last year, to cancel the 24 hour operation at the Batho Clinic.
Departmental spokesperson Mondli Mvambi has sought to refute claims that Moeca was denied medical assistance.
“They were not denied the help, because the clinic was closed. It was around 3 o’clock in the morning. The security here, did call the ambulance services, who were on their own. I mean we’re told that they could not find an ambulance but as to what was happening, the full report still has to come but unfortunately the ambulance could not be available as soon as it was required.”
