Husband Seeks Justice After Soulmate Dies at Carletonville Hospital, Accuses Staff of Medical Misconduct
Devoted husband Andries van der Mescht rushed his wife to the Carltonville Hospital to save her life. Little did he know that his soulmate, Johanna van der Mescht, would later die in the Johannesburg West hospital.
PAY ATTENTION: Never miss breaking news – join Briefly News' Telegram channel!
Source: UGC
Andries believes his wife's death could have been prevented. While he is picking up the pieces after losing his soulmate, the grieving widower is demanding justice from the Carletonville Hospital, which he accuses of gross human rights violations that led to Johanna's death.
Speaking to Briefly News, Andries detailed his and Johanna's love story, how he cared for his frail wife and how Carletonville Hospital allegedly mistreated her during the last days of her life.
Adries and Johanna fall in love after a chance meeting in 1990
Andries and Johanna's love story began in 1990. Before they met, Andries described how he worked as a petrol and diesel mechanic in Port Elizabeth and led a very lonely life.
PAY ATTENTION: Click “See First” under the “Following” tab to see Briefly News on your News Feed!
Describing himself as a religious man then, Andries prayed for God to send him a wife... A very good wife.
An emotional Andries recounted how Johanna walked into his workplace one month later and upon looking at her, he knew she was the woman he was looking for.
"When I looked up into those beautiful blue eyes, I just knew this is my future wife. This is the woman that God sent to me to be my wife."
The two married two months later, only for life to take a turn, and they separated for 20 years, Carltonville Herald reported.
That was not the end of their love story, however. Andries and Johanna reunited in 2017 and were together until she died in Carletonville Hospital.
Andries devotes his life to caring for his frail wife
Source: UGC
After Andries and his wife reunited, Johanna fell ill. Being the devoted husband that he was, Andries dedicated his life to taking care of Johanna.
It soon became his full-time job and Johanna became utterly dependent on him as the years passed. Her illness progressed, resulting in Johanna being bedridden for the last few years of her life.
Things began to fall apart on 17 March 2023. While caring for his wife, Andries noticed that her condition was worsening.
Andries said earlier in the week, 15 March, he noticed that Johanna had developed coldness and oedema in her right foot, so he elevated her leg while warming her lower right leg with a warm water bottle.
The treatment worked, and his wife's right foot was back to normal the next day. However, it appeared an oedema then developed in her left hand.
"I also found my wife’s limbs to be cold, her speech to be mildly slurred, her alertness to be mildly confused, and her body to be suffering from physical fatigue. This was a clear sign of my wife developing a phase of anaemia."
When 17 March rolled by, Andries was concerned about Johanna because the severity of her anaemia and water retention increased overnight. He said:
"I had no other option but to admit my wife to a hospital where they could perform a life-saving blood transfusion, dialysis and metabolic rebalance."
Andries said that while he had a negative experience with Carletonville Hospital, government policy dictates that ambulances transport patients to the nearest hospital.
Johanna begged Andries not to take her to the hospital, but the man had no choice.
Andries added:
"I had no other alternative but to make use of Carletonville Hospital. I explained to my wife that she would die if I don’t take her to the hospital right now. My wife agreed as she trusted in my leadership, my judgement, my care."
Andries van der Mescht complains of mistreatment at Carletonville Hospital
Even though his wife was elderly, extremely frail, extremely ill and in a critical condition, she was not considered a priority case and was left without an examination or a drip for several hours.
Eventually, nurses attended to Johanna and they took her blood and dressed her wounds.
"They were doing a terrible, terrible job," Andries complained.
He said not only were they using the wrong bandages, but they were filthy, wrapped untidily and much too tightly. Andries said they were cutting off circulation to his wife's hand.
"My wife had been left laying there without a doctor's examination, without a running drip and without any supervision for yet another hour or two or three."
After a while, a concerned Andries finally got the attention of a doctor, but never expected what he was about to hear. The doctor told Andries to prepare for the worst, inferring that Johanna would not make it.
"I was quite surprised to hear her say that because she had not checked the file or the blood results. She had not even documented everything I told her during the consultation."
Johanna was eventually admitted to the hospital's tuberculosis ward because all the other wards were full. Andries shared that walking into the ward was like entering a prison cell.
The concerned husband said he was told by hospital staff that he could only visit his wife between 3pm to 5pm daily.
Johanna's condition worsens while receiving care at Carletonville Hospital
During the times that he was allowed to visit Johanna, Andries was troubled by what he saw. On Saturday, 18 March, Andries said his wife's oedema had worsened and travelled to her lungs.
Source: UGC
Her urine, which he said had been clear before she was transported to the hospital, was a troubling murky brown colour.
Angered by his wife's deteriorating condition, Andries demanded to see a doctor, but was told none were on duty because it was the weekend.
Andries stated:
"I signed my wife’s death warrant by admitting her to Carletonville Hospital. I just knew it from the moment I brought her in."
Johanna's condition continued to deteriorate and Andries continued to plead that the hospital staff give her proper care, but his pleas fell on deaf ears, Andries stated.
Johanna unfortunately passed away on 23 March 2023, a day after Andries' birthday. The hospital informed Andries that his wife died of multiple organ failure, which he believes the hospital caused.
Andries insisted:
"When I brought her to the hospital on Friday, 17 March 2023, her blood tests revealed no organ failure. She developed organ failure as a result of not being treated for her iron deficiency and anaemia and for the reason of being left dehydrated without a drip for more than 24 hours."
Andries wants justice for Johanna's death from Carletonville Hospital
Determined to get the Carletonville Hospital to take accountability for his wife's death, Andries filed a complaint.
He is accusing hospital staff of violating basic human rights, violation of patient rights, gross misconduct, medical negligence, abuse, assault and premeditated murder.
Since filing his complaint, Andries said he has had little assistance from the Carletonville Hospital. He said he approached the Health Professions Council of South Africa and the Health Ombudsman but received little help from those organisations as well.
When asked what type of justice he wanted to see, Andries said:
"What I want is a criminal case to be opened against the hospital, a criminal case of premeditated murder."
Briefly News tried to contact the Carletonville Hospital and received no response. The publication also reached out to the Gauteng Department of Health for comment, but they had not responded at the time of publishing. The article will be updated at a later stage in the event the hospital gives us comment.
Gauteng man fears death after Helen Joseph Hospital discharges him from ward with open wound for a 2nd time
In a similar story, Briefly News reported that what was supposed to be a routine surgery at Helen Joseph Hospital has turned into a waking nightmare for 32-year-old Maate Benon Daaki, who now sits with an open wound in his stomach.
Gauteng resident Maate Benon Daaki's life has been a living hell. On 10 January, Daaki went to Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg after experiencing stomach pain.
The doctors decided to admit him for routine surgery because he had a bowel obstruction. However, Daaki says the doctors never explained what caused the bowel obstruction.
PAY ATTENTION: Сheck out news that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!
Source: Briefly News
