Dep. Of Health Issues Apology After Family Wrongly Informed Of Loved One’s Death

The Department of Health in the North West has issued a formal apology to a family after a significant mix-up led to the wrong family being informed of a loved one’s death.

Seventy-two-year-old Dorothy Magape, a resident from Delareyville, had been taken to the Gelukspan Hospital for treatment. When a relative went to visit her, they were mistakenly informed that the elderly woman had passed away.

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Nsomanga Skosana, a relative of Magape, was too traumatized at the time to view the body. Skosana then informed the family and others of Magape’s supposed death.

Consequently, the family initiated funeral arrangements, and neighbours came to offer their sympathies. Relatives from distant places even began making travel plans to attend the funeral. The family was later shocked to receive a call from a hospital porter revealing that Magape was, in fact, still alive.

Magape was subsequently discharged from the hospital. The mix-up was attributed to Magape and the deceased patient having similar surnames. Tshegofatso Mothibedi, a spokesperson for the Department of Health in the North West, confirmed that an investigation has been launched.

“As the department, we instituted an investigation at the said hospital after we were informed of the incident. After gathering facts, we can confirm that a nurse on shift mixed up files and informed the wrong family of their loved one’s death. Upon realizing the mistake, the nurse promptly corrected it,” he said.

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A delegation led by the hospital’s CEO and other senior officials visited the family to apologize.

“Currently, we are offering the family counseling and we have made it known to them that we will assist them during these trying times. The hospital has since implemented stringent measures to ensure such an incident does not occur again,” Mothibedi added.