A seven-page memorandum demanding urgent intervention over poor service delivery, excessive waiting times, and patient safety concerns at the Bishop Lavis Community Day Centre has been handed to Western Cape Health and Wellness MEC Mireille Wenger, days after a 49-year-old woman died in her wheelchair outside the facility, reports News24.
The local community also staged a silent picket outside the centre last week, while the provincial branch of the Health & Other Services Personnel Trade Union of South Africa (Hospersa) has called for a full investigation.
Sylvia Abrahams had died shortly before 7am on 2 September after a friend dropped her off outside the centre at about 6am. Abrahams, who had asthma, was allegedly refused entry by security staff because the gates had not yet opened.
Her sister, Roseline Egbe, said Abrahams had gone to the centre because she was struggling to breathe and needed oxygen. “She was just asking for oxygen, and they refused to let her go inside,” she said.
When Egbe asked the staff why her sister had been refused entry, the manager told her security guards had been instructed that patients were “not allowed to come in before 7am”.
But Egbe questioned why Abrahams could not have been assisted by the facility’s maternity unit, which operates 24 hours a day.
“My sister’s case was an emergency. She was not able to breathe properly, which is grounds for assistance,” she said.
She has accused the centre of negligence.
Western Cape police said no case had been registered, and that “the woman had a medical history”.
Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness spokesperson Megan Davids confirmed Abrahams had died outside the health centre.
“It is understood that she arrived at 6am, before it had opened for the day. When staff arrived for duty at 7am, they found her unresponsive in a wheelchair outside. She was immediately brought inside for assessment, where a doctor confirmed her death.
“At the time, the facility was closed and no clinical staff were on site yet. The centre operates from 7am to 4pm on weekdays, and public access is restricted outside these hours for safety and operational reasons.”
Davids added that the Bishop Lavis Midwife Obstetric Unit provides a 24-hour service for “uncomplicated pregnancies” and maternity or neonatal emergencies.
“Unfortunately, the midwifery team was not alerted at the time. Had they been made aware of the emergency, they would have been able to assess the patient, provide assistance where possible, and arrange emergency medical support.”
The department added that the matter was reported and managed in line with its standard procedures.
Community activist Gwendoline Allies said Abrahams’s death had further fuelled long-standing frustration among residents, who allege that security staff at the the facility routinely treat patients, particularly elderly and vulnerable people, without dignity or compassion.
She said residents had repeatedly raised concerns about patients being made to wait outside the centre for extended periods, including elderly people and those in wheelchairs.
Patients are frequently left outside in cold, wet weather rather than being allowed to wait inside while seeking medical attention, she added. Residents want the provincial health department to take their complaints seriously, and have given Wenger 14 days to respond to their demands.
Union weighs in
The Hospersa Western Cape has called for an independent investigation into the death, telling the Cape Argus that the explanation that she arrived before opening time is not good enough when a patient is in obvious medical distress.
The union’s provincial secretary Rudolf Fredericks said Hospersa was not satisfied that operating hours alone can be relied upon as an adequate explanation when someone presents with a life-threatening emergency.
“The central issue is not simply whether the facility had officially opened, but whether reasonable and appropriate steps were taken to ensure that someone experiencing an apparent medical emergency received timely assistance, assessment, referral, or activation of emergency medical services,” Fredericks said.
The health department said security personnel were required to follow procedures outside operating hours and that the public were not allowed in before opening because no clinical staff were present.
Residents needing urgent medical care after hours were advised to use Elsies River Community Health Centre, which operates 24 hours a day.
But Hospersa said any person arriving at a healthcare facility in apparent medical distress should trigger an immediate response aimed at preserving life.
Fredericks conceded that security guards were not medical professionals and should not be expected to provide clinical care, but added that they should still be trained and empowered to activate emergency procedures without delay.
This could include contacting emergency medical services, alerting on-call personnel where applicable or following established escalation protocols.
“For many communities, the nearest healthcare facility is the first point of assistance they turn to in a crisis,” he said.
The union has urged a comprehensive and independent investigation to establish the exact timeline of events, from Abrahams’s arrival until her death.
The investigation should further examine possible communication or decision-making failures and recommend measures to prevent a similar incident.
“Most importantly, it must provide the family and the public with transparency, accountability and clear answers,” Fredericks said.
Cape Argus – Hospersa calls for probe into woman’s death outside Bishop Lavis clinic (Open access)
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