Durban hospital’s R8m lawsuit a lesson: Family
A Queensburgh family whose teenage daughter died allegedly at the hands of staff at the St Augustine's Hospital in Durban say they are taking legal action because they don't want others to suffer the same loss.
Trevor and Pathmavathy Naidoo are claiming R8-million in damages from two doctors who run practices from the facility as well as the hospital itself for alleged medical negligence they claim caused their daughter's death.
19-year-old Jadene Naidoo was taken to the hospital following a car accident in September.
She complained of severe abdominal pain and according to her parents this was ignored despite pleas for doctors to have it checked out. It turned out days later that Jadene had a ruptured small bowel.
Her father says they want to encourage others who've lost loved ones to speak up.
''If some negligence is found, and it's something that happened to your child in that form, that they may be brave enough to speak about it then justice should be done.
"Those doctors should be reprimanded, the hospital should also be reprimanded for what they have done because for all you know, the child to them was probably a number, they have no idea how it affects the family,'' he said.
The family's attorney Theasan Pillay believes the court should consider the case.
Listen to him below.
Management at St. Augustines says they cannot comment as it is a legal matter.
They have expressed their condolences to the family.
(File photo: Supplied)