Pretoria - The Gauteng Department of Health has admitted that more could have been done to inform the Sebopela family about the death of their loved one instead of dragging it out for nearly a month.
The Pretoria News yesterday reported that the family called for action against Dr George Mukhari Hospital Academic Hospital for only informing them nearly a month after the death of 32-year-old Sello Sebopela.
The dead man’s brother Donald Sebopela said the hospital gave them the run-around before admitting on Tuesday that Sello had died last month.
According to department spokesperson Kwara Kekana, several attempts were made to contact the family through cellphone numbers listed on the patient file.
“The hospital does accept that more could have been done to inform that family, including proper handover with the next shift for follow-up, and getting the help of the nearest police station by providing addresses of relatives, so the family may be located,” she said.
The hospital has been engaged in a redress process with the family.
The brother said if the hospital really cared it would have made sure it made contact with them. The admission from the department and hospital was unacceptable, he said, adding that they would be looking into other avenues to put the matter to rest.
“Heads have to roll,” he said.
Sebopela recalled how he had to rush his brother to the hospital on July 13 as there were no ambulances. He said his brother had been sick for a while, and on that Monday his condition deteriorated.
Due to Covid-19 regulations restricting visitors at hospitals, Sebopela took contact details for the ward so he could check on his brother.
However, when he checked two days later, he was told his brother was not in that ward and had never been, according to their records.
It was not until this past Tuesday that Sebopela went back, this time angry and demanding answers, that nurses broke the disturbing news.
He was told his brother had died on July 16, but because the hospital was so busy and undergoing renovations, they had forgotten to inform the family. However, when the family went to the hospital yesterday, the date of death had been recorded as July 15, according to Sebopela.
Pretoria News