Farrah Menego, a friend to Desiree whose mother was admitted to the hospital, says in a Facebook post that the woman who had a perforated ulcer was placed in a storeroom for hours and a nurse who was on duty was watching movies instead of attending to the sickly woman.

“A friend of mines Mom has a burst Ulcer. This happened YESTERDAY morning!!!! It is now 16:36, the 4.11.2017 and STILL has not been seen to. The mom was also placed in a bloody storeroom, like seriously WTF!!!!!!??????? When asked for help etc... the tonsil goes and watches a movie. It is a place you go to die!!!! Not to be helped ????????,” reads her post.

She further writes: “It’s now 17:45, the same guy watching the movie and claimed he didn’t know anything, says “oh we forgot about your mother” they have only now given her Pre Op medication.”

After the operation, Menego claimed that the staff refused to allow her daughter to see her and that she had overheard staff threatening to poison her.

“@I have seriously had it with them.... last night at 21:30 my mom phoned me crying they are making fun of her and she said the(y) want to poison her she understood there (sic) language so she was in a state.”

“She is there right now and NOT allowed to see her mom...they claim to be busy!, “ continues the post.

Menego says on the morning of 7 November a cleaning crew appeared and she suspects that this was as a result of her post which was shared more than 1100 times since it was posted on 4 November.

Mondli Mvambi, spokesperson of the Free State Department of Health, could not be reached for comment after several attempts but a detailed list of questions was sent to the department for a response.

OFM News/Thandi Ntobela