WATCH | Health MEC intervenes after clinic video goes viral

KwaZulu-Natal health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo has intervened at the Limit Hill Clinic in Ladysmith after a video went viral showing a parent become enraged after staff allegedly did not help her sick child.

"The video, which was filmed at Limit Hill Clinic, features a patient who tries numerous times to get the attention of a receptionist and nurses. Her child can be heard crying in the background. Even her several requests to meet the clinic manager appear to be ignored," the provincial health department said in a statement at the weekend.

Dhlomo visited the clinic on Friday with management of the clinic's mother facility, Ladysmith Hospital.

"We admit that we could have handled the situation better. The first part that is abnormal is the failure by our staff members to give the client information that they were going to call the receptionist on time. Although these staff members are not necessarily stationed at reception, they could have assisted and told the patient that they would have been attended to. They failed to do that. And later on, you notice that there was an interaction that was not professional from one of our staff members, which is something that we do not condone," Dhlomo said.

The provincial health department is investigating the incident.

Dhlomo urged aggrieved patients or their relatives to lodge complaints via the operations manager at clinics, hospital public relations officer, CEO or the matron if it is after hours.