Saw a patient in the hospital today that upset me. Thought I'd post it here to get it out of my system.

machine translation for any lurkers who do know afrikaans


Saw a patient in the hospital today.

52 years old. Had a little girl with her.

Scolded her for bringing a perfectly healthy toddler into the hospital.

“Mevrou moet nie die kleintjie hier he nie. Tygerberg is vol kieme.”

The hallway and waiting area is full. Lots of people coughing. Probably TB.

I’m wearing mask. Don’t want TB.

“Kan haar nie by die huis los. Hulle steel kinners soos sy en verkrag hulle.”

Oh.

She is 3. Wearing cute little ugs. Falling asleep on the chair.

“Dis nie my kind nie. Maak haar net groot.”

The real mother is a tik-addict. Prostituting for gangsters.

And more tik.

“Wag al van 6h vanoggend vir die dokter.”

It’s 11:25. I’m only a student.

“Het mevrou self enige kinders?”

She had one. A boy.

“Hy is oorlede in 2005. Vermoor.”

Oh.

He was 12.

“Daars nog ene by die huis. Hy is gestremd.”

Apparently they don’t steal those.

“Mevrou getroud?”

Left the husband last year. Was abusing her.

“Werk mervrou?” Stupid question. Hands deformed by arthritis. Knee busted. Chronic pain. Blind in one eye.

Needs a new crutch. Her’s was stolen.

“Gee my net die pille. Moet aangaan. Moet weer krag he.”

She beckons to the sleeping girl with the cute ugs.

“Moet haar nog groot maak. Sy moet sterker word. Kan nie nou opgee.”

I watch her go. Limping down the corridor.

Crutch in one hand, sleeping girl with the cute ugs in the other.

She lost 24kg in the last 3 months. Has new onset back pain.

Probably cancer that has already metastasized.

A tear escapes.

Luckily I’m wearing a mask.

“Volgende pasient.”

/r/southafrica Thread