By A Correspondent- The family of Ian Hyslop, a Bulawayo man who passed away due to COVID-19, a respiratory disease caused by the new coronavirus, has spoken about a catalogue of errors by doctors that led to his demise.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Hyslop’s daughter Sharon said they decided to talk about the events leading to the death of their father, who was 79, “out of genuine concern for all Zimbabweans”.
The statement issued by the family reads in part:
Our father Ian Hyslop, 79, was examined by his Bulawayo doctor on the afternoon of Wednesday, March 25, specifically as we felt he needed to see a doctor as he was suffering troubling flu symptoms.
Thereafter, in the days leading up to his death on Saturday, April 4 – we believe he was examined by two local general practitioners with utter carelessness and ignorance.
We make this claim based on the fact the chairwoman and management of Qalisa Retirement Village where our father resided with his 77-year-old partner decided he would not be permitted to leave the village even if he wanted to have his own doctor attend to him from March 26.
This illogical decision was implemented by the village’s management, simply because he was over 70 years of age in complete disregard of statutory instrument 83 of 2020 covering COVID-19 lockdown regulations.
Hyslop’s daughter then goes on to narrate the events that transpired between his father’s visit to Ganda Lodge in Hwange, between March 14 and 16, his visit to a doctor on March 25 after he experienced troublesome flu symptoms (cough, sore throat and a slight temperature) and his death on April 4.
She further reveals that the family was only informed that Hyslop had the coronavirus late on Monday, April 7 – apparently, because the sample was collected before a weekend and there was no transport to take it to Harare, where all lab tests were carried out.
She concluded:
As a family, we cannot understand how two doctors, if not three, fully aware the lockdown was due to COVID-19, did not once consider him to be a typical case and hospitalise him on March 25 or at least March 31 when he clearly needed to be.
As a result, there is no other way of describing them but careless, ignorant and negligent medical practitioners. The chairwoman and management of Qalisa must also take responsibility for illegally preventing the old folk from leaving the complex to see their preferred practitioner if or when the need arose during the lockdown period.
It’s shameful. We have lost the love of our lives. He didn’t deserve to be subjected to these tragic circumstances.