Bishop Lavis residents plan protest after woman dies outside community day centre - IOL

The death of a Bishop Lavis resident outside the local Community Day Centre has sparked calls for urgent intervention, with residents claiming alleged ill-treatment by security guards and poor service at the facility have been ongoing concerns for years.

Community members along with Bishop Lavis Action Community are now preparing to picket outside the Bishop Lavis Community Day Centre (CDC) on Tuesday, demanding answers over the death of Sylvia Abrahams and raising broader concerns about how patients, particularly elderly residents, are treated at the facility.

Abrahams was dropped off at the Bishop Lavis CDC just after 6am on September 2 after experiencing breathing difficulties.

According to community activist Gwendoline Allies, this was the second occasion on which Abrahams had arrived at the facility in need of oxygen.

Allies said that during the previous incident, Abrahams had been assisted through the facility’s 24-hour maternity unit.

Abrahams died before the normal shift commenced at 7am.

The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness confirmed that an elderly woman collapsed outside the facility on September 2, but said no clinical staff were on duty when she arrived.

“The Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness extends its sincere condolences to the family and loved ones during this difficult time,” the department said.

It said the Bishop Lavis CDC operates from 7am to 4pm on weekdays and that the woman reportedly arrived at around 6am.

“When staff arrived on duty, they found her unresponsive in a wheelchair outside the facility and immediately brought her inside for assessment, where a doctor sadly confirmed her death.”

The department said the facility had been closed at the time and no clinical staff were on site.

It explained that security personnel were required to follow established procedures outside operating hours to protect the facility and ensure patients were not left unattended on the grounds of a non-operational health facility.

“Healthcare services cannot be provided when clinical staff are not present. For this reason, members of the public are unable to access the facility before opening hours,” the department said.

Residents requiring urgent medical assistance after hours were advised to use Elsies River Community Health Centre, which operates 24 hours a day.

However, Allies said Abrahams’ death had intensified longstanding frustration among residents who believe security staff at the Bishop Lavis facility often treat patients poorly.

She claimed elderly and vulnerable patients were sometimes left waiting outside in wheelchairs, including during wet and cold weather, instead of being allowed to wait indoors.

“There have been times when pensioners are sitting in wheelchairs in the pouring rain and they are not allowed to sit inside and everyone who has been here knows the long wait before being helped,” Allies said.

The planned picket will therefore not only focus on Abrahams’ death, but also what residents describe as wider failures in service delivery at the facility.

Residents had also previously lodged official complaints concerning the conduct of security personnel and problems experienced when accessing services.

Concerns had also been raised about poor communication between staff and patients, language barriers and the facility’s folder system, which residents claim sometimes causes delays and confusion when people arrive for treatment.

Residents now want the department to investigate whether existing procedures adequately protect patients who arrive shortly before opening hours while experiencing a medical emergency.

The department said it was aware of a video circulating on social media in connection with the incident and was reviewing all available information.

It added that counselling and support services were available to Abrahams’ family through the Bishop Lavis CDC should they wish to access them.

For residents, however, Tuesday’s protest is expected to push for more than an explanation of what happened on September 2.

They want changes to how vulnerable patients are treated at the facility and clearer procedures for people who arrive seeking urgent assistance before the doors officially open.