Mitchells Plain District Hospital may be hit with a lawsuit after a 39-year-old mother of three apparently waited nine hours before being seen by a doctor or receiving medical treatment for a brain aneurysm, reports the Cape Argus.
Noerisah Sonday has since undergone a DSA coil brain procedure at Groote Schuur Hospital, where she was transferred and remains in high care. Doctors also suspect possible meningitis, said her family, who had reported the matter to the hospital’s management and was told an internal investigation could take up to 24 days.
A family friend said they were seeking accountability, and questioning why nurses were allowed to triage patients instead of doctors.
Sonday had collapsed on 3 March and admitted to the hospital just after 3pm with severe head pain, blocked ears, loss of muscle strength, and bowel issues.
Despite the seriousness of her symptoms, she was coded green and had to wait for nine hours before being seen by a doctor, he said.
“Around 8pm, they (family) approached the staff because she was clearly getting worse. They were told this is the busiest hospital in the province, that there were resuscitation cases, and that waiting time is six to eight hours, so she must wait like everyone else. They tried to explain that her symptoms suggested a possible brain bleed, but no one listened.”
Finally, nine hours later, a doctor told them that she needed to be transferred to Groote Schuur Hospital for a suspected brain bleed.
“She only left Mitchells Plain Hospital after 3am and arrived at Groote Schuur after 4am – almost 12 hours after collapsing. Even when she arrived there, she was still classified as Code Green, causing further delays.
"Eventually, scans confirmed the seriousness of her condition. She was only admitted to the high-care neurosurgical ward after 8pm on 4 March. The next day, doctors had to perform a DSA coil brain procedure through the groin to stop the bleeding.”
The family wants answers to several questions, including whether triage nurses are properly trained and why doctors are not part of the triage process.
Sonday’s sister said that they would pursue legal action – and were awaiting feedback from the hospital.
Her sister remains in high care and her condition has improved. “But doctors said she may experience stroke-like symptoms, which she is currently showing,” she added. “Further tests have been conducted after blood results raised concerns about possible meningitis.”
The family believes the situation could have been addressed much sooner if their concerns had been taken seriously, particularly after they had told staff that her symptoms suggested possible neurological problems.
They felt their concerns were dismissed – that a doctor on duty did not appear to take their concerns seriously.
The nurse also refused to allow them to speak to the doctor in charge, which added to their dissatisfaction with how the matter was handled.
The Western Cape Department of Health & Wellness confirmed that a formal written complaint had been received, and was being investigated.
The hospital said triaging was “an essential part of the treatment process that prioritises patients in emergency care based on physiological status and presenting symptoms that incorporates stroke-like or life-threatening symptoms”.
“Sadly, after being triaged correctly, a patient’s condition can change, while our healthcare teams are in the process of treating other life-threatening cases.
“This patient was triaged as non-life-threatening, but her condition changed while waiting for care. This incident is most unfortunate, but we can confirm that the patient was eventually treated and referred to Groote Schuur Hospital where she remains in care and receiving specialist treatment.
“This is the reality of the emergency centre at Mitchells Plain District, where healthcare teams are under pressure daily and dealing with complex medical emergency cases, while patients who are not triaged as life-threatening have to wait for hours to receive care.
“…If you are triaged green and not life-threatening, your waiting time will take hours and we recommend you visit your local clinic instead.”
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