• The Department of Health in Free State is saddened by the death of 33-year-old patient who fell from the seventh floor at the Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital
• Police are investigating the man's death after a security officer noticed the patient lying on the floor in a pool of blood during the early hours of the morning
• At another Free State hospital, a patient with mental illness was allegedly mistreated and his hands became gangrenous, which had to be amputated

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FREE STATE - Police are investigating the death of a 33-year-old patient who fell from the seventh floor of the Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital in Bloemfontein. The Free State Department of Health said all officials are saddened by the tragedy.

The department’s spokesperson, Mondli Mvambi, said the deceased had sustained major burns to his face, neck, right shoulder and left hand and had been transferred from Dr JS Moroka Hospital to Pelonomi Tertiary Hospital. According to SABC News, the patient’s family was informed about the incident and offered psychosocial support.

Mvambi said a security officer noticed the patient lying on the floor in a pool of blood at about 3am on Friday, 22 July.

Recently, at the Bongani Regional Hospital in the Free State, another patient with mental illness had his hands amputated. The patient was allegedly mistreated after being stabbed and his hands became gangrenous.

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According to Sunday World, both his hands had to be amputated. Mvambi said the department was aware of the case, and an internal investigation process and presentation of the case at the Hospital Clinical Governance Forum were done.

South Africans were angered by the incidents at the Free State health care facilities:

@mabale66157879 said:

“Poor observed staff.”

@Michell94103224 wrote:

“That’s sad.”

@Segoja_SaKubung commented:

“Employ staff cleaners, security officers, clerks and nurses and stop splashing overtime money on your Drs who don’t work even 6 hours a day, the attendance registers are there as tools to commit fraud!”

Thulani Qetho posted:

“So they could not handle this man’s case.”

Calls for action to be taken at Tembisa Hospital after patient dies

In a related matter, Briefly News also reported before his death, a patient at Tembisa Hospital had complained that he had not been fed for over 48 hours. Taking to Twitter, the young man, Shonisani Lethole, tried his last hope to get help at the hospital by tweeting to SA Health Minister, Zweli Mkhize.

“@DrZweliMkhize, Mkhize can I respond to your tweets if the problems I have at one of your facilities continue it’s becoming unbearable and they don’t seem to care. Didn’t eat for 48 hours,” wrote Lethole, who unfortunately died a few days later.

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