Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg Hospital — Local services in Msunduzi Local Municipality

Patient Experience at Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg — July 2025

I was admitted at Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg on Sunday, the 5th of July 2025, and I just want to comment on my experience, which was rather disappointing overall.

Let me begin by commending the Orthopaedic Ward nursing staff — the nurses who took care of me for the three nights I spent there were absolutely incredible. They were consistently on standby, showed great professionalism, spoke with kindness and respect, and treated both me and the other patients with dignity. Their standard of care is something I believe should be recognised and maintained. If it were not for them, my entire experience would have been unbearable.

However, I cannot ignore the unacceptable behaviour and poor service displayed by other departments within the hospital — particularly the kitchen staff and the cleaning staff.

I have been a patient at this hospital before, notably in 2018, and I remember how excellent the food was back then: fresh, warm, and with a variety of well-prepared options. But during my recent admission, the food quality was shockingly poor. Some meals were so badly prepared they were quite honestly disgusting and inedible. There was no taste, the food was often cold, and the menu felt extremely limited in comparison to what it used to be.

One night, I went to bed after being served just sandwiches — that alone speaks volumes about the level of decline in your catering standards. And I had to ask myself: Is this truly the same quality your kitchen staff would serve in their own homes? Because if it is, I must say this — it’s unacceptable, it’s tasteless, and it’s an insult to paying patients.

What truly disturbed me, however, was something a relative of mine brought to my attention. During her visit, she noticed that some food options weren’t even made visible or available on the menu I had access to. Meanwhile, white patients were receiving menus with more variety and better options. I was shocked and disappointed. This kind of selective treatment raises serious concerns about racial discrimination — whether intentional or not, the impact is the same.

To access the “hidden” meals, I had to verbally request them, even though they weren’t reflected in the menu I was given. This experience made me feel undervalued and disrespected, and I’m not the only patient who felt this way — several others in my ward were just as unhappy.

Let me be very clear: I am a paying patient, not a charity case. I expect to be treated with equal dignity and access, regardless of my skin colour. If Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg wants to uphold its image as a reputable, private healthcare institution, I strongly suggest you:

Review your food supplier or caterer immediately

Hold your kitchen staff accountable

Ensure all patients receive the same menu and treatment, regardless of race

Train your support staff in basic respect and service ethics

Until this is addressed, I would not recommend Mediclinic Pietermaritzburg to anyone, purely because of the disgraceful food service and the sense of unequal treatment I experienced. It’s a shame, because the only redeeming aspects were your nurses and a few outstanding medical professionals — especially Dr Essop Solomon, who was an exceptional physician and a true professional.

To conclude: I expected better. I deserved better. And so do all your patients.

Sincerely, A very...

Please take your time to read this review before you send your loved ones here. I don’t even know where to begin with this ridiculous, neglectful, inhumane hospital. I was admitted the 21st of July 2025 and from the second we arrived at the doors of the surgical ward, we rang the bell and a “nurse” walked right past us. Fast forward after my operation when I was just waking up and I was so thirsty, I asked for water repeatedly and they gave me not even 5ml, I kept asking for my mom and they took so long to get her. When I got back to the ward I was complaining of pain and I had to wait a long time for someone. They gave me a gown that was way too small for me, it didn’t even close at the back, it kept falling off exposing everything. I was restricted to laying on my back because of the catheter, the first 3 i times I called for help they were happy to help but after that they took a long time to come and they were annoyed. When I asked for help adjusting my bed they would raise it a little bit and then just leave me. When I asked for pain meds they took 15+ minutes. The next morning at 4am the cleaning lady came in and she HAD to make the bed NOW (I still had my catheter in and she was pushing and pulling on it while I cried. She forced me out of the bed and then she didn’t help me get back in while I was struggling to even stand. Then after I ate the nurse took away the tray that had my phone on, she took my catheter out with no warning, I asked her to bring my tray back and she said she’d be back. I still did not have any pants or anything on so I was laying there, struggling to move, curtains wide open, my call button was not working so I waited 15 minutes for her to come back. She didn’t. So I forced myself out of the bed so I can put pants on, I struggled, I couldn’t stop shaking, I struggled to lift my legs to get dressed, I was out of breath, I was dizzy, I couldn’t stand. But eventually I got them on, went to go get my phone where she was standing attending to someone else after she said she’ll come back. She asked me “are you okay” I looked straight at her and said “yes. I had to get out of the bed and get dressed by myself because you didn’t come and help me.” She didn’t answer. I got myself back into the bed and cried from the pain for about 5 minutes until someone came. 2 days later in the morning I was complaining about my drip site itching and it was red, I asked repeatedly for them to remove it since I wasn’t receiving anything from it anymore. I had to ask 6 times until someone finally came to help me, when they took it off, my hand was red, I was scratching it until I bled. Not a care in the world from these “nurses” it happened again with many other “nurses” where I had to call repeatedly and no one came, but when the other ladies in the room called, they were there immediately, I don’t know why they neglected me SPECIFICALLY. I do have a theory but I won’t say. The way they treated me was absolutely disgusting, ridiculous, neglectful, and rude. DO. NOT....

Really great Staff, the nurses and even the doctors, including the cleaning staff along!! Thank you for being helpful and kind I really appreciate it!! Even the kitchen staff - great wholesome food by the way 🤞🎉🌠

But as for the pharmacy at Medi Clinic their service is absolutely frustrating and they Forever make you wait for hours on end. Especially whilst you are being discharged from hospital and also when you go to the *Pop" clinic.!! 🤔🤨🙄😡Please in future for my sake and others sake that we are informed as to what time our meds will be available. Not all of us patient's live in Pietermaritzburg, so a bit of compassion and respect would go a long way!!

And I've had terrible service from the casualty side Receptionist as they are so rude! Like it's such a problem for us to make a file for meds and what not.This is also not the first time I've had to wait for my meds for an Hour and a bit. Not good not professional from that side of their department.

We should all be treated like patients that we are and not like we are a issue to them. As other people including myself never asked to be here seeing doctors having operations waiting on hours on end for meds. We deserve the respect of just a simple happy smile and better attitude and at the same time with that being said they could just let us know it's going to take an hour or so to...