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Michelle
Active since Nov 2024
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2 reviews10 months ago
A Nightmare Experience at Rondebosch Medical Centre - Unacceptable Negligence and Disregard for Patient Well-being
My experience at Rondebosch Medical Centre on June 18, 2025, for a colonoscopy was not just disappointing; it was deeply traumatic and frankly, negligent. What should have been a standard procedure turned into a series of alarming failures, raising serious questions about patient care and safety at this facility. The ordeal began right at admission (7:40 AM): The admin staff didn't know my co-payment fee – I had to tell them. I was made to write down my details, and despite my clear handwriting of "Lakeside" for my address, it was incorrectly captured as "Wakeside," an address that doesn't even exist in South Africa. No one bothered to confirm or check. This immediate disorganization was a red flag. Moving to the ward, the issues continued: My bed wasn't made upon arrival. There was no proper hospital gown (vest) available. For about an hour, maintenance staff were constantly walking through our shared ward space (where another patient and I waited), to assess non-working bed plugs in an attached private room. This felt incredibly intrusive and undermined any sense of privacy or calm. The pre-operative care was critically flawed: At 9:00 AM, during a standard pre-op assessment, my blood glucose was found to be a dangerously low 3.2. I felt distinctly unwell because of this. Shockingly, absolutely no action was taken by staff – no glucose given, no drip administered, no attempt to stabilize me. To make matters worse, from 6:00 AM until I was finally taken for my procedure at 2:00 PM (8 hours later!), I received no sips of water, no drip, no hydration, nothing. This prolonged fasting, combined with the unaddressed critically low blood sugar, caused significant discomfort and concern. I then waited an additional 40 minutes in the pre-op area, watching two or three other patients arrive, get prepared, and go in for their procedures before me. This further highlighted the unexplained delay and contributed to my anxiety. Then, the unthinkable happened during the procedure: To my utter horror, I woke up during the surgery. This terrifying moment of consciousness during a medical procedure is absolutely unacceptable and indicative of a severe failure in anesthesia management and patient care. Post-procedure care was equally appalling: Back in my room, I experienced severe cramping and was visibly crying due to the pain, which could have been exacerbated by the preceding low blood sugar and prolonged fasting. The response from staff was a dismissive "we might give you something later," and no immediate action was taken. No one ever returned to check on me or offer comfort or relief. I desperately needed to use the bathroom, but my nurse calling button didn't work. Due to my already low blood sugar and the lingering effects of the anesthetic, I was unable to get help in time and ended up soiling myself. The humiliation and struggle to then help myself to the bathroom were devastating. Even discharge was a mess of incorrect documentation: My discharge form had no time recorded on it. It falsely stated I was "leaving by wheelchair," when I actually walked out. The form also included generic advice to "take medication as prescribed," despite the fact that no prescription was given, and no medication was provided at all. The cumulative effect of this entire day at Rondebosch Medical Centre, from administrative errors and an intrusive environment to critical medical neglect, waking during surgery, and a complete lack of compassionate post-operative care, has left me profoundly distressed and impacted. My well-being was fundamentally disregarded at every turn. I urge Rondebosch Medical Centre to thoroughly investigate these severe failures. This isn't just about a bad day; it's about systemic issues that put patient safety and dignity at risk. No one should have to endure such a neglectful and traumatic experience. I hope that by sharing my story, something will be done to prevent this from happening to future patients, and to adequately address the severe consequences I have endured.
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