Cape Town: A Zimbabwean family is bitter after their relative who was admitted at the Stellenbosch Provincial Hospital was allegedly found dead under the bed in one of the wards.
The events surrounding the death of Tapiwa Chipika have shocked many Zimbabweans in Stellenbosch who have threatened to organise a protest at the hospital.
Chipika had been admitted at the hospital after he had shown signs of mental instability.
Police suspect the middle-aged man from Khayamandi township was strangled to death and investigations have kicked off, according to reports.
The brother of the deceased and family spokesperson Solomon Shumbanhete has complained about what he suspect to be negligence by the hospital which led to the death of Tapiwa.
“The hospital has informed us that it will not even help us financially and what it has only offered us is just a mere verbal apology and nothing else,” said a visibly bitter Solomon.
“We suspect that my young brother was strangled by another mental patient with whom he was sharing the same room with. There was a clear black mark around his neck giving us a hint that Tapiwa did not die a natural death. We need the hospital to show us video footage”
According to the family, the hospital has not given a convincing explanation on events leading to the death of the patient.
When Allnet Africa visited the bereaved family’s small house in Khayamandi, dozens of mourners gathered as they try to raise money required to repatriate the body to Zimbabwe. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK HERE FOR UPDATES ON THIS STORY.
The Family needs close to R30 000 for them to cover all expenses and they have so far managed to contribute R5 000 only.
What next
With the stellenbosch hospital “unwilling” to offer any assistance the family is now seeking the help of a state lawyer to effect legal action against the health institution.
“We have no money but we are appealing to human rights lawyers to help in the legal battle against the hospital. We are also planning a demonstration at the institution. We need our voice to be heard even if we are foreigners and the hospital should act.”
The family is appealing for any form assistance for them to be able to offer Tapiwa a decent burial in Zimbabwe.
They plan to engage the Zimbabwean consulate in Cape Town and brief the Consular General about what feel is unfair treatment by the hospital.
Background
Government hospitals have faced negligence accusations before, with the Gauteng health department reportedly paying out more than R1 Billion to settle 185 medical negligence cases since January 2015.
In 2016, more than 100 patients died after being moved from Life Esidimeni to non-governmental organisations which were not qualified to provide healthcare.
Then Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu resigned from office after the findings of the Health Ombudsman weighed heavily against senior health officials for bad planning.
[…] Tapiwa Chipika had been admitted on Sunday 11 March. On Tuesday evening he was dead. It appears he was strangled. […]
It’s absolutely disgusting that the authorities haven’t stepped up and provided both support and information regarding this case. The whole thing reeks of a lack of supervision whereby a volatile human being was brutally murdered while under the supposed care of an establishment of care?