A Plea for Empathy and Better Communication in Our Hospitals

By Frans Joubert

After spending the past week beside a very ill family member, an 81-year-old admitted to Mediclinic Potchefstroom, I’ve come to deeply appreciate the competence of our medical professionals and the impressive infrastructure available in our local hospital. Potchefstroom is fortunate to have such a facility.

Yet, even with the best clinical care, something crucial is missing in the patient journey: communication and compassion, not just for the patient, but for the families who walk the emotional tightrope alongside them.

This is not a critique. It is a constructive suggestion based on lived experience.

1. Introduce a Patient Liaison Officer in Every Hospital and Clinic

One of the most distressing challenges during this past week was the complete lack of accessible communication. Families desperately wanting to understand their loved one's condition find themselves left in the dark. Nurses at the station, mostly friendly, often don’t have the latest updates. Doctors, understandably busy, are difficult to track down, especially during their rounds. In the end, family members are forced into a painful guessing game at a time when clarity and calm are most needed.

The solution? A Patient Liaison Officer, a dedicated staff member who can serve as the go-between for doctors and families. This person would not give medical advice, but they could share updates, timelines, and basic information with families. They could field questions, coordinate answers from the relevant medical teams, and act as a consistent point of contact.

Such a role would ease anxiety, foster trust, and improve the overall experience, not just for families but for staff too, who are often overwhelmed and unable to answer repeated inquiries.

2. Replace “Patient” with “Client” to Reinforce Respect and Service

There’s a subtle but significant difference between calling someone a patient and calling them a client. The word client implies choice, dignity, and a service relationship. A patient is often seen as passive, someone to whom things are done. A client, on the other hand, is a stakeholder, someone who expects care, communication, and respect.

Too often, it feels like patients (and their families) are an afterthought. Some medical professionals, despite their brilliance, appear cold, impatient, or even dismissive. Families, who are not only emotionally invested but also the ones covering medical aid and out-of-pocket costs, feel voiceless. And when we dare ask for feedback or clarity, we’re seen as “difficult.”

This shouldn’t be the norm. Empathy shouldn’t be optional.

3. Encourage Medical Aids to Become Active Information Partners

Medical aids could play a more supportive role beyond processing invoices. Why not develop a parallel service where the primary member receives high-level, non-confidential insights into what is being covered and the broad scope of care their loved one is receiving? This would reinforce transparency, ease confusion, and help families plan for additional costs.

The Bottom Line: It’s About Dignity

This isn’t just about service delivery, it’s about basic humanity. When someone you love is critically ill and can’t speak for themselves, you are their advocate. And without clear communication or emotional support from the system, you’re left helpless. That’s not just unfair, it’s inhumane.

Potchefstroom is home to great hospitals and doctors. Let’s now lead the way in building a healthcare system that prioritises compassion as much as cure.

Let’s make our hospitals more human, because at the end of the day, health is not just clinical, it’s emotional.

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