Thomas Johnson - Medical Blog

This is an edited version of an email I sent Groote Schuur Hospital's director of outpatients Dr Tunc Numanoglu on March 7. On Thursday 7 I called one of Groote Schuur Hospital’s (GSH) outpatient clinics over a period of an hour about an appointment.   The phone was either engaged, rang unanswered or twice a person who didn't identify which department it is answered, mumbling almost incoherently.   To my question if she's the receptionist to make appointments, she replied that person was “on tea” and will be “back at 9.30” despite it already been 9.45 and the second time 10.30 when I called.   On tea for an hour?   I didn't understand and gave up.   I emailed the hospital’s outpatients director, Dr Tunc Numanoglu, asking him to refer my request to them.  I was at the clinic last October for test results. An appointment for that date was made soon after my previous visit in August.   I waited from 9am until after 2pm to be seen by the doctor ...

This is an update about our October/November 2017 complaints to the Health Professions Council of South Africa against Groote Schuur and Western Cape Health Department doctors and officials (see elsewhere in this blog). This is the text of the email to the legal department's record officer Sylvia Makgwadi on March 4: "In her email of 30/10/208 Keabetswe Mokwena told me she would contact me in December to inform me of the preliminary inquiry's decision. She did not, and her automatic reply to my last email of January 15 stated she's no longer with complaints. I've heard nothing from anyone since. Obviously, the HPCSA doesn't care or is too dysfunctional, inept and/or captured. Nevertheless, please give me the name and contact numbers of the legal officer assigned, that is, if one was and/or ask him/her to call me. In the event you or anyone is bothered to reply, I'm not interested in excuses so please spare me that. Due to your recalcitrance I have ...