Pretoria - The Tshwane Health District will look to create a vigorous customer service engagement platform in the wake of yet another incident of ill-treatment of patients by staff at a hospital in the city.
In the latest incident, a homeless man died on the steps of the Tshwane District Hospital on Tuesday night.
He had allegedly been refused emergency services because he was “dirty” and “stank”.
Crezane Bosch, DA Gauteng spokesperson for social development, claimed a car guard pleaded for the man to be assisted, but he died after two hours lying outside the hospital, with no staff willing to help him.
“When the SAPS were called, they indicated that they would only arrive after 10 hours to attend to the situation. However, after intervention from the community policing forum, the police arrived after an hour. Meanwhile, the body was lying outside the Tshwane District Hospital,” said Bosch.
He said there had to be consequences for those in government who failed to assist the homeless in the province.
Provincial health district chief director Mothomone Pitsi said the department was sitting with two different versions as to what took place. He said after speaking to the chief executive of the hospital, his version was that the person never even got to the hospital.
He said the chief executive had informed them the man had died outside the hospital, next to a kiosk.
Pitsi said there were two car guards who also witnessed the incident, where the man was seen walking into the hospital only to turn back a few minutes later.
On witnessing the man seemingly struggling, the security allegedly ran to help, only to reach him too late.
“I heard on the radio that he was turned away and there were witnesses, so we have tasked an official to help find those witnesses who spoke on air so we can engage and investigate their version of what happened.”
Even though there are cameras at the entrance of the hospital, Pitsi said an official had been tasked to check the government mortuary to get a picture of the dead man to help identify him.
Mamelodi Day Hospital and Stanza Bopape Community Health Centre have also been in the news for poor service delivery.
In this regard, Pitsi said further discussions were being held in order for hospitals to have “vigorous customer service”.
“There needs to be a better way to engage and assist our patients, because we can’t have these incidents cropping up anymore.”