Woman dies in hospital while nurse chats on phone

AN elderly, wheelchairbound woman collapsed and died in front of her daughter after allegedly waiting for several hours to see a doctor at Fort Grey Hospital in King William’s Town this week. The incident, which took place on Wednesday, was witnessed by other patients. A least three patients said a male nurse had carried on chatting on his phone as the woman had convulsions while lying on the floor. The women’s emotional daughter, who asked not to be named, said her mother had complained of stomach cramps on Tuesday night. The following morning she took her mother to a clinic in Dimbaza, which referred them to Grey Hospital. The daughter said they had arrived at the hospital at 11am and were taken to a room where her mother’s blood pressure was checked and a drip inserted. They were told they would have to wait until a doctor could see them.

She said her mother had been in agony and had continuously asked for help. They waited in the room until nearly 3pm without seeing anyone. “That’s when my mother collapsed. The drip slipped out of her arm. The nurse who had taken her blood pressure didn’t even see that because he was busy on his phone at the time.” Witnesses said pandemonium had broken out as the daughter started screaming. They alleged the nurse had continued talking on his cellphone and had not immediately helped the women. Despite efforts to revive her by hospital staff, she was later declared dead. Provincial Department of Health spokesman Siyanda Manana said the nurse had been on the phone to the doctor when the patient collapsed, asking him to attend to the scene urgently.