Blanche Appollis: probe clears hospital

A probe into Blanche Appollis's death has found no evidence of her poor treatment at the Mitchells Plain District Hospital.

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Cape Town - A Health Department investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of Blanche Appollis has found no evidence of her poor treatment at the hands of Mitchells Plain District Hospital porters.

Appollis was admitted to the hospital on May 24 and Appollis’ daughter Leeanne Van Rensburg said her mother was humiliated by the treatment she received from the porters and nursing staff. She died on May 26.

According to her family, when she woke up after being resuscitated her hands were bound and she was naked. Instead of assisting her, three porters laughed at her and walked away.

The family said nurses had also failed to assist her when she needed to relieve herself.

While the department says “no evidence or corroboration could be found for the behaviour of the porters”, the Human Rights Commission said it was assessing the matter for investigation.

The department is also implementing a range of interventions, including that nurses do proper written handovers and that the dignity of patients needs to be ensured.

Marika Champion, the Health Department spokesperson, said CCTV cameras, various staff members, nine patients who could have come in contact with Appollis at the time and staff duty rosters were among possible sources of evidence drawn on.

Champion said a thorough investigation was conducted.

Interviews were also held with the support-services manager, the chief porter and the three porters on duty that evening.

The attending clinician also submitted a statement.

“In consulting duty rosters and staff interviews, no porters matching the description by the patient and family could be found,” Champion said.

She, however, added that a range of improvements were recommended in the wake of the complaint.

“They aim to ensure improved handling and management of complaints, strengthen the system, ensuring that complaints will not be dropped when they have not yet been concluded, to ensure dignity of patients – especially the elderly – and improve the comprehensiveness of nursing notes.

“Improved shift handover mechanisms have been implemented for both the nursing staff and the medical staff,” she said.

The head of department, Beth Engelbrecht, met the Appollis family to discuss the results of the investigation.

Appollis’ family has slammed the department’s findings.

Van Rensburg said it was covering up its failings.

“My family is not happy at all with the outcome of the investigation.

“They (the department officials) are basically saying my mother was lying, that there were no porters on duty.”

She said the department mentioned coloured porters, but Van Rensburg had never spoken about race in her complaint.

“They were not worried with the issue at hand, they are more focussed now on making things better at the hospital,” she said.

lisa.isaacs@inl.co.za

Cape Times