Incompetent and negligent abuse by doctor’s support staff

Most atrocious experience ever! My father is 79 years old with several medical ailments. We were referred to Dr Jameel Moosa by a Haemotologist in Waterfall and based on that referral, made the long journey to Midstream. Upon arrival and request for porter, we were not assisted. After covid protocols we arrived at the doctor’s consultation rooms. There was no one at reception. Later a woman in scrubs appeared and told us to fill in online forms. There was no room for the wheelchair. She then indicated my father would have to walk to the next room for ECG - he shuffled until there. As she placed the electrodes, she boasted that she could do it with her eyes closed. When asked if he could walk on the treadmill (almost oblivious to the fact that he arrived in wheelchair) we said it would be difficult but he could try on the slowest speed. She said it would be a walking speed - walking speed for a normal abled person is very different to that of an ill person. She did not attach the emergency stop device for the treadmill and immediately once it began my father fell to the ground. She did not switch the machine off and it continued rolling with him on the floor. She made no attempt to help him up or even apologize. I got him up with great difficulty and he had been bruised and traumatized by the fall. She made no apology and did not even bring any first aid or swab for his grazed legs. We were the ones saying sorry to her - as if it was our fault. Once we were moved to the examination room where the doctor would see us, the doctor came in and didn’t even look at the patient or give any consideration of the fall - he focused only on the ultrasound device with no eye contact. We were told that my father would have to have a heart scan but this could only be done at waterfall and not at midstream. After a few days we made arrangements for admission to waterfall and the scan. We received no feedback from the doctor. We called repeatedly to inquire if there would be a change in medication or what the treatment plan would be. On calling the rooms, there was no reply and eventually we emailed to request feedback. Over a week or 10 days later we received a call from the doctor indicating it was as he suspected and the medication remains unchanged. I requested that it be on chronic in that case so that medical aid would cover the costs. I was told I needed to speak to the woman who conducted the ECG in the rooms - Vanessa. I called everyday for 2 weeks with no response and sent emails with no assistance. Eventually, I got through to another person who said Vanessa was off sick and no one else could assist. When I objected to this, I was told she would call me. This Vanessa is an extremely rude person with zero phone or in person etiquette. She calls without any courtesy greeting of even hello and just with “it’s Vanessa” - I explained the need for the chronic medicine application and she indicated I needed to provide her with a One Time Password when she logged in. I explained that I was going into a meeting and we would need to arrange a mutually agreeable time when she would log on and I would be able to provide the OTP. She proceeded to be quite rude and additionally lied by saying the Discovery system was offline and it was probably due to loadshedding - this was a blatant lie and seems an easy excuse for her not to do her job - I indicated I had been on the discovery app and also on the phone with discovery several times that week including earlier the same morning and that there were no problems. She continued to deny any responsibility. That is when I called her out on her behaviour and unprofessional conduct both in the rooms and since trying to get the medication authorised. Her arrogant response was still not to apologize for her conduct but to say “I’m sorry YOU feel that way” - once again taking no responsibility for her actions. The following day, whilst I was in serious meetings, I received several messages with OTPs - there was no call or prior arrangement by Vanessa telling me she would be doing the chronic application at that time and I was not in a position to take calls due to the nature of my work and my meetings. Later that evening I checked my emails and found another rude email from her to say she made several attempts and I didn’t contact her to give her the OTP - at no stage were arrangements made for me to do so and at no stage did she bother to call me to request the OTP and she presumes no one else has to work and we have all the time in the world to be at her mercy! The arrogant, racist and unprofessional attitude of Dr Jameel’s support staff is not encouraging at all. I cannot allow the medical care of my father to be in the hands of rude, incompassionate and incompetent people., We will consider taking further action for the negligence and injuries incurred at the hands of “Vanessa”

It is time doctors realise their support staff are a direct indication of their level of care. No amount of degrees and certificates on walls means anything if there is no compassion or care, especially for elderly patients.

https://southafricafirm.com/gauteng/mediclinic-midstream-21309