13/01/2026
“She Slept in a Wheelchair and Starved for Days”:
Family Accuses Odi Hospital of Cruel Neglect
Mabopane Daily News
Kgabalatsane | North West
A Kgabalatsane family has come forward with disturbing allegations of systemic neglect, humiliation, and medical abandonment at Odi Hospital, describing what they say was a life-threatening ordeal endured by their 54-year-old mother during the 2025 festive season.
According to the family, what should have been a routine emergency response turned into a nightmare marked by delays, indifference, and suffering.
Ambulances Called Twice — None Arrived
The family says the patient fell seriously ill on 22 December 2025, prompting an urgent call for an ambulance. They allege no ambulance arrived. As her condition worsened, a second call was made on 24 December 2025, with the same result.
With no emergency assistance forthcoming, the family claims they were forced to spend their last money on a private vehicle to transport her to Odi Hospital, arriving at approximately 22:00 on 24 December.
Upon arrival, the patient was placed in a wheelchair and taken to casualty. The family alleges that despite crying in pain and reporting sharp chest pains, she was not treated as an emergency.
Instead, they claim she was left to spend the entire night in the wheelchair, unattended, and was only seen by medical staff around 15:00 on 25 December 2025 — nearly 25 hours after arrival.
Only then, according to the family, was she diagnosed and admitted.
Before admission, the patient allegedly soiled herself. When a family member asked to bathe her, nurses reportedly refused, saying she would be cleaned once admitted to the ward. The family claims this did not happen.
They describe the experience as humiliating and degrading, alleging that staff showed little urgency or compassion during her most vulnerable moments.
“She Was Given Medication but No Food”
The most alarming allegations relate to her care in the ward.
When relatives visited her on 30 December 2025, they claim she told them she had only eaten on the day of her admission, when a family member fed her.
According to the family:
Meals were allegedly placed next to her bed without assistance, despite her inability to feed herself.
She allegedly went up to five days without being fed, while still receiving medication.
Other patients reportedly confirmed she was left hungry.
An elderly patient eventually helped her eat out of concern.
The family says this amounts to starvation through neglect.
Left in a Wet Bed, Unwashed
The family further alleges that the patient:
•Was not bathed regularly
•Was left wearing dirty, stained clothing
•Wet her bed and was allegedly left in that condition overnight
•Accidentally removed her drip, which was never reinserted, despite repeated requests
They say these conditions reflect a complete breakdown of basic nursing care.
Conflicting Diagnoses, No Clear Treatment
The family also raises serious concerns about contradictory medical diagnoses.
They say:
The patient was initially diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) on admission.
•Doctors later allegedly told them she had pneumonia instead.
•There are allegedly no records confirming a pneumonia diagnosis.
•Despite this, she is reportedly being given TB medication, while pneumonia remains untreated.
The family says doctors refused to address her other illnesses, instructing them to wait until discharge and then take her to Dr George Mukhari Hospital, as she is registered there.
“She last saw a doctor on the day she was admitted,” a family member alleged.
MENTAL HEALTH RISKS IGNORED
According to the family, the patient has dementia, and some of the medication administered has allegedly worsened her mental state.
They further claim she was placed in a ward with patients who are mentally unstable, raising concerns about her safety and psychological well-being.
Theft and Filthy Conditions Alleged
The family alleges that food and personal items they bought for her were stolen from her bedside cabinet.
They also describe unsanitary ward conditions, including an incident where a patient urinated on the floor and staff allegedly failed to clean it, leaving the area unhygienic.
HOSTILE RESPONSE TO COMPLAINTS
When the family attempted to raise formal complaints, they allege nurses responded with hostility and denial, accusing patients of lying and discouraging further questioning.
CALL FOR URGENT INTERVENTION
The family fears the patient’s condition has deteriorated due to lack of medical oversight, alleging she has not been reviewed by a doctor since 25 December 2025.
They are calling for an urgent investigation by:
•The North West Department of Health
•Odi Hospital management
•Health oversight bodies
Mabopane Daily News has opened the right of reply to Odi
Hospital and the Department of Health and will continue to monitor the situation closely.
