White patient Dennis Byrne, 71, forced to urinate in glass at KZN hospital after black nurses refused bedpan:
9 October 2015 - A senior citizen at Stanger Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal was allegedly forced to defecate in his bath towel when nurses refused to provide him with a bedpan.
Dennis Byrne, 71, was admitted to the hospital on September 19 after suffering a broken hip. He could not be operated on until his sodium levels were high enough,
North Coast Courier reported.
His fiancée Anna Victor said when she saw Byrne last Sunday, he had urinated in his drinking-water glass because nurses would not help him with the bedpan.
He told her he felt humiliated relieving himself without the privacy of curtains to shelter him from other patients and visitors.
When Victor visited Byrne again this past Sunday, he had reportedly had to relieve himself in his bath towel and was crying.
“I did it in there and wrapped it up because I could not use the round-bottomed bedpan on my own,” Byrne said.
He said the nurses left the bedpan on the floor next to his bed, but would not help him use it.
“I am tied up and cannot move. I need help with the bedpan,” he said.
“It is as if he has given up and wants to die. He said on Sunday that if he had a gun he would shoot himself in the head,” said Victor.
She further alleged staff at the hospital were rude to her when she inquired about Byrne and did not make any effort to obtain information for her. Two weeks later, she said, the staff claimed they did not know who Byrne was.
KZN Health head of communications Sam Mkhwanazi said he was not aware of the incident. However, provincial health spokesperson Agiza Hlongwane said the department would investigate. Hlongwane could not give any further details.
9 October 2015 - A senior citizen at Stanger Hospital in KwaZulu-Natal was allegedly forced to defecate in his bath towel when nurses refused to provide him with a bedpan.
Dennis Byrne, 71, was admitted to the hospital on September 19 after suffering a broken hip. He could not be operated on until his sodium levels were high enough,
North Coast Courier reported.
His fiancée Anna Victor said when she saw Byrne last Sunday, he had urinated in his drinking-water glass because nurses would not help him with the bedpan.
He told her he felt humiliated relieving himself without the privacy of curtains to shelter him from other patients and visitors.
When Victor visited Byrne again this past Sunday, he had reportedly had to relieve himself in his bath towel and was crying.
“I did it in there and wrapped it up because I could not use the round-bottomed bedpan on my own,” Byrne said.
He said the nurses left the bedpan on the floor next to his bed, but would not help him use it.
“I am tied up and cannot move. I need help with the bedpan,” he said.
“It is as if he has given up and wants to die. He said on Sunday that if he had a gun he would shoot himself in the head,” said Victor.
She further alleged staff at the hospital were rude to her when she inquired about Byrne and did not make any effort to obtain information for her. Two weeks later, she said, the staff claimed they did not know who Byrne was.
KZN Health head of communications Sam Mkhwanazi said he was not aware of the incident. However, provincial health spokesperson Agiza Hlongwane said the department would investigate. Hlongwane could not give any further details.
