THABAZIMBI – A cancer patient’s nightmare started on 9 June at the Thabazimbi Provincial Hospital when she went there for help to alleviate the pain that kept her from sleeping at night. At the hospital she was informed that the hospital was full while at least 60 people were already waiting in the queue outside.
After receiving this information, Tracey Claassens was told by one of the staff members that there were only two doctors on duty and they were not consulting any out patients.
Tracey Claassens entered Die Kwêvoël offices in a highly emotional condition to complain about the situation at the hospital. She was eventually forced to see a private doctor and accrued a debt of R1 200 for the medical consultation and medication, a huge some which she can hardly afford on a once off basis, and definitely not every month.
Tracey’s story started on 13 May when she went to the hospital to have X-rays taken to see if her cancer has spread and also to get medication. She fell in at the back of the queue and got her file. From there she moved to the next queue where there were about 25 people in front of her. At about 15:15 the sister told everybody to come back the next day. As reason the sister said that the doctor was going home at 16:00 and would not be able to see the rest of the patients.
Tracey was in so much pain she decided to wait and, fortunately for her, the doctor recognized her and saw her at about 17:00. She was told to be back the next day for X-rays as they had already closed for that day.
The next day she got the bad news that the cancer has spread. She was given medication and a prescription and the doctor said she should be back on 9 June when her medication would be finished as well as for additional X-rays.
After being shown away at the hospital on 9 June, she was in a state as they did not have medical aid or the money to go to a private practitioner. Being in agony, she did not have another choice than to see a private doctor.
“We now owe the doctors and chemist R1 200, an amount which we will have to pay off with time. If they had been any less sympathetic and understanding, I don’t know what we would have done”. “But where does this leave me? I can’t afford R1 200 a month for the doctor and medication, and what about next month? I know for sure I am not the only one in this predicament. I did not ask to have cancer and rely on the state hospital for treatment, as so many other people are forced to do. I think this is disgusting” said Tracey.
