PATIENT CARE CRISIS

For all the Hype of how well run our public hospitals are in the Western Cape my experience at Karl Bremmer was woefully inadequate!!!! The main reception is chaotic ,no designated area just for enquiries .Staff sitting together (i assume training) laughing and chatting whilst the queues snake out the door , staff who are dismissive ,rude and lack any empathy. The manager of the reception area is very unprofessional and can clearly not manage a hospital reception area.Patients waiting are not considered to be human beings but rather an irritation and nuisance. I was admitted for surgery on the 20th Jan. Was told to arrive at 11 am ,only to be told I was too early and waited 9 hours for a bed ONLY to be told by Sister Faro in ward 2b that its chaos everyday!!! Once admitted I was in a ward where 3 Patients were on nappies and catheter. They were told to change their own catheter and nappies as well as bath themselves in the bed.No privacy as the curtains could not close .An elderly man 95 yrs old who was blind in one eye and partially deaf had his food just put down on his bedside cabinet ,after requesting numerous times if a nurse could help feed him , this patient was encouraged to feed himself .After challenging the nurses they fed him the cold food.Numerous requests for water were ignored. Two Patients lay in their soiled nappies for hours and the stench was disgusting. One nurse complaining that she could not adjust a Patients bed as she was 60 years old!!! The window next to my bed had years of dirt layered on it ,rusted and they could not close ,was held together with wire ! The nursing staff would do their rounds only to check vitals ie blood pressure, sugar levels .One of the nurses when doing an intake questionnaire didn't even know what an antidepressant was ! No toilet seats in the toilets, no soap , no towels .Dry urine on the floor at the toilet. After my surgery I was discharged the next day at 9am as they needed the bed .I was in alot of pain they instructed me to wait until 3pm for a discharge letter in the waiting room where they have metal chairs .I was not given ANY post operation instructions on how to manage my dressings or wounds .I had security guards at the hospital asking me for money so they could buy lunch ! UNLESS this hospital does not embark on a training with nurses on what acceptable nursing practices are expected and the culture of care , humanity and empathy they should be held to higher standards .It appears that management is NON EXISTENT or they all have the same mentality that Patients are a burden and should be grateful for the morsels of care the patient recieves at the mercy of Nurses and Sisters who need to re consider their profession. For the first two days of my admittance I had to assist the patients in my ward due to the dismissive attitudes of the staff. Sister Faro and her counterpart should be disciplined and re trained .I received my diagnosis in February 2025 I was to get put on the list for an operation in June at the out patient the reception there is disgraceful they never booked my surgery.I had to return, which meant a hour wait to get your file, then vitals taken in an open room with other patients where they get to hear all your personal information where is the patient confidentiality!! Only to wait another 4 hours to see a doctor, whom skims over your file ultimately missing key elements and forming a comprehensive diagnosis .I have lived abroad using government hospital facilities and I can confidently say the medical nursing department is in crisis due to cultural understanding of patient care and accountability or lack of oversight. Im afraid to say the private medical hospitals are not to dissimilar in patient care like in the public hospitals. As a patient all one wants is to be treated with dignity ,empathy and respect.Unfortunately Karl Bremmer gets a big 0 for patient care .