Shocked at hospital conditions

IN response to Louis Hattingh's letter ("Treatment a crime against humanity", June 6), we had an equally horrendous experience at Dora Nginza Hospital. The main issues were the filthy conditions of the floors and public toilets, no soap and no paper towels to dry one's hands, the shortage of staff and the long, long wait.

We arrived at 9am and were seen at 6.30pm. Thereafter we waited, on a hard trolley with no mattress, for the specialist who arrived the next morning.

Many of the people waiting for attention were left unattended – no family members or friends were with them. Their cries for assistance remained unanswered.

The telephones remained unanswered at night. No refreshments were offered at any stage.

I kept asking myself if this was a clip from a film. Could this be real as these were peaceful times with no civil war and no catastrophe had happened?

So why was our hospital in such shocking disarray? Having worked as a nurse myself in government hospitals years ago, I was shocked, dismayed, distressed and overwhelmed at what I saw that day.

I saluted the staff who were on duty. Working under those conditions, every day all day, with no respite in sight, must take a special type of person.

The Western Cape is first world, our province definitely is not.

 A Vorster, Port Elizabeth