Pregnant Accident Victim Dies After Striking Doctors Denied Her Treatment
On Tuesday, a 30-year-old pregnant woman was allegedly denied medical treatment at several hospital facilities.
The seven-month-pregnant woman’s usual hospital visit turned tragic on Tuesday when she was knocked down in a hit-and-run on Townbush Road and later died of her injuries after allegedly being denied emergency treatment by striking healthcare workers at Northdale Hospital.
Thandokuhle Mlotshwa was left unattended on a hospital stretcher for hours while paramedics desperately tried to arrange emergency medical care for her.
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Thobekile, Mlotshwa’s mother, expressed sorrow and grief at the loss of her daughter and unborn grandchild.
“I have not gone to the hospital yet. I am distraught, and the fact that I’m still in the dark about what exactly happened after the accident is making the situation worse.”
Mlotshwa had gone to Grey’s Hospital for her normal pregnancy scans on Tuesday morning but was turned away due to the ongoing strike.
After leaving the hospital, she was apparently hit by a car while walking down Townbush Road.
KZN Private Ambulance took her to Northdale Hospital, but she reportedly spent hours on the ambulance stretcher before obtaining medical assistance at the facility.
According to paramedic Hans Hartmann, the strike has made it impossible for ambulances to serve needy patients.
I am traumatised by reports that she did not receive prompt medical assistance because I believe she could have been saved if she had. The Health Department should have had contingency measures in place for a case like this.
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“As things stand, the situation is out of control. We have not heard from them [the department]. The people who came here to comfort us are the employers of one of my daughters. I do not have the strength to go out to undertake the necessary processes,” said the woman’s mother.
She stated that her family will seek answers and justice for the loss of her daughter.
Hlalani Zondi, the chairperson of the Northdale Hospital board of directors, said it is sad and heartbreaking to lose a life “carelessly” due to human behaviour.
Mlotshwa’s case was reported yesterday, according to Zondi. What’s tragic is that she was injured near Grey’s Hospital, where she should have received rapid medical assistance under normal conditions. We were able to get her into the facility, but we lost the unborn child and the mother as well.
“Today we had 164 absenteeisms in our facility — that’s how bad the situation is. We wish to remind employees that people’s lives are in their hands and disputes should be handled in a manner that will not jeopardise the wellbeing of our patients,” said Zondi.
