A DURBAN family is demanding to know how their loved one walked out of the Joint Medical Holdings (JMH) City Hospital undetected.
The hospital responded stating that he used the fire escape.
Junior Mkhize, 20, was admitted to the hospital last week for a mental health assessment after he had shown signs of mental illness.
Relative Thulani Kubheka said that on Wednesday a neighbour, travelling in a mini-bus taxi, called the family to inform them that Mkhize was seen walking on the N3 freeway in Berea.
Kubheka said the family was startled by this and immediately called the hospital. He claimed that the nurse that answered the call said Mkhize was in the hospital ward.
“When my mother asked to speak to him the nurse confessed to the family that he was missing. We were angered by the hospital’s dishonesty. They had not called us to inform us that Junior had gone missing. They tried to cover it up and only revealed the truth when we cross-questioned them.”
He said the family spent three hours driving along the N3 and King Dinuzulu (Berea) Road searching for Mkhize. They eventually found him at home. Khubeka said the family went to the hospital to get a report on how Mkhize actually left the hospital premises without the staff and security noticing.
“The hospital manager played down the whole issue. We are still shocked and fuming with the hospital management for such gross negligence. We spoke to a matron who was very rude to us. We asked to record our meeting with them and she refused.”
Kubheka said to their surprise, the matron said they tried to call but the number they used went unanswered. The number belonged to Mkhize’ s father who died in 2018.
“How did the hospital end up using an incorrect number. They have the contact numbers of his family. We had to admit him in the hospital again for an assessment. ”
City Hospital manager Rafeek Ismail Nakooda said investigations revealed that Mkhize forced his way through two fire escape doors to exit the hospital premises. Nakooda said Mkhize’s absence was noticed by staff shortly after its occurrence. Management immediately launched an extensive search, both of the hospital premises and its immediate vicinity, but could not locate him.
“Concurrent efforts to contact the family were unsuccessful. We are required by law to ensure that the fire escape doors are readily accessible in case of a fire or other emergency. We however do not agree that we in any way misled the family or that the hospital or its staff were negligent. We make the health and well-being of all of our patients our highest priority.”
Daily News