An Unprofessional Medical Practitioner, the Health Professions Council of South Africa and Me

Email from me to various doctors and the Health Professions Council of South Africa.

This is just the end bit now and I have to do what I am being asked by the HPCSA which is going to take a couple of weeks to make sure that everything is perfect for a court of law. I am about to destroy one doctor's profession and career and I do not do that lightly, however, her conduct has led to irreparable damage to my lungs and maybe the next person will die. If I do not do this for myself, I must do it for the other patients that will at this point, be unfortunate to become her patient.

My Polygam treatment for December was booked but the day before, the doctor was missing and her receptionist said she would leave an urgent message - well, her holiday was more important. On the 3rd January, I wrote the email below to her with copies to the HPCSA.

Dear Ntombi

FOR ATTENTION: Dr Y Jansen and the Sister in Charge

Thank you for the motivation but it is no longer required.

Due to the total lack of response from your office, from your sister in charge and from Doctor Y Jansen herself, you left me no alternative but to seek medical help elsewhere. This is after my husband visited your offices twice and left four messages and I had left umpteen messages for Dr Jansen and the Sister who never bothered to call back. Everyone went on holiday and returned in late January. I was very ill and went by ambulance to Dr Frida Pienaar in Bloemfontein who was horrified to see the condition her patient was in. Hence, since November, I have been helped by physicians who actually care about me and do not wind their forefinger around their ears as a sign of mental illness as did Dr Y Jansen when she discharged me from the hospital. Within 48 hours I was admitted to Life Hospital (because Netcare was on divert) and I had hospital-acquired pneumonia. So much for Dr Y Jansen's "There are more germs in private wards". This was another thing that the doctor did not think was necessary to give me a private ward or barrier nursing. She showed no interest at all in my situation and I felt that she was more than annoyed by me, in fact, walking away from my bed when I was still speaking to her. I also felt that she was irritated with me because I knew so much about my (rare) disease (which I do) which she knew nothing about but instead of us working together as I suggested, she remained aloof and uncaring.

My husband did leave a form to be completed by Dr Jansen for further home treatment but she only completed the section for home oxygen. I have been on home oxygen for three years. Did she not even remember that? Dr Jansen did not know me or my condition at all and instead of us working as a team, she humiliated and degraded me in front of others to the point that the psychiatrist I saw is of the opinion that I have PTSD caused by Doctors not treating me with respect and dignity or even bothering to listen to me.

Yours truly

Dianne Lang

RESPONSE ONLY FROM BELOW AND NOT FROM THE PHYSICIAN:

RE: MOTIVATION FOR POLYGAM TREATMENT

Inbox

Legal Med

Thu, 6 Feb, 13:25 (2 days ago)

to me

Dear Dianne

Kindly complete the attached form in full, sign and send it to Legalmed@hpcsa.co.za

To be acted upon by HPCSA, your complaint must

• State clearly that you wish to complain against a healthcare professional and that the HPCSA should investigate your complaint;

• Identify the healthcare professional (Doctor / Practitioner) against whom the complaint lodged, by including his/her surname, initials, practice address and practice registration number;

• Detail the nature of the complaint, including all relevant dates and facts as well as supporting documentation were available;

• Be signed by you, your legal representative or any other person lodging the complaint on your behalf; and

• Include full contact details for correspondence purposes (such as requesting additional information regarding your complaint.

LegalMed

L & RA: Complaints Handling & Investigations

HEALTH PROFESSIONS COUNCIL OF SOUTH AFRICA
553 Madiba Street, Arcadia, 0083
PO Box 205, Pretoria, 0001
Tel: +27 (0) 12 338 9300
Web: http://www.hpcsa.co.za

Email: Legalmed@hpcsa.co.za

Type of bruising from my illness if I am not treated with Polygam

I have to get my head around this and include everything that went down - this is a very watered down synopsis of what happened. I am going to make this my priority next week and then I will take on the Heinrich van Rooyen case with the first interviews. This kind of fight gives me butterflies in my stomach. I can fight for others, but like all activists, it is difficult to fight for ourselves. However, I will get those butterflies to fly in formation and I will do this so that others are not subjected to such unprofessional treatment. After all, these people have our life and death in their hands.