A WOMAN who was injured after a Putco bus she was in overturned, injuring her and 19 other passengers and killing Keitsimang Tladi, is still suffering.
Kamogelo Mpshe (28) from Dobsonville, Soweto said her life hasn't been the same since the accident in Sandton on Sunday, 10 December.
She said she was suffering as her skin was damaged because of the injury. She said she had allegedly been refused medical assistance by the Putco group.
Speaking to Daily Sun, she said she was taken to Edenvale Hospital and was discharged on the same day, but her wound began to bleed.
"I was in excruciating pain. I called Putco and was told that I must go back to Edenvale even after I told them the ambulance refused to fetch me," said Kamogelo.
"I can't stand up, let alone walk. My entire back is swollen.”
She said she needed assistance and believed the bus company's management staff was unbothered.
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Another survivor of the tragedy, Sanele Xaba, who was sitting next to Keitsimang who was killed in the crash, told Daily Sun the bus crashed into a large tree before flipping over.
She claimed the driver was attempting to beat a robot and failed. She claimed he beat a red light and that was when he attempted to control the bus, but the brakes failed.
"I have severe headaches, my neck and upper body aren't working well, and pain killers aren't doing any justice," she said, adding that her family was in KZN and she had no one to care for her.
"My biggest concern is that Putco hasn't yet contacted me or attempted to check on how I'm doing," she said.
She said as soon as she recovered, she would file a lawsuit.
The Batho Pele Commuters Forum met Putco to talk about commuter safety and their collaboration with 911 Netcare health services.
“This was before the accident and Putco had promised to take care of their commuters should they be an accident, yet they have failed,” she said, adding that three days after the accident they still hadn’t made a follow-up on the injured passengers or visited the family of the deceased.
Putco spokesman Lindokuhle Xulu confirmed the meeting with Batho Pele in which the forum requested advice on passenger duties in the event of an accident, expressing concern over commuters' lack of knowledge.
"Putco management responded by asking passengers and bystanders to phone the call centre number listed on the back of buses or on their websites. The contact centre dispatches 911 Netcare emergency services, who offer first aid and transfer injured passengers to the nearest hospital facility.
"In the recent accident which occurred in Sandton, Inanda, the nearest healthcare facility is Edenvale Hospital (9,8km away), and the nearest Netcare facility is Netcare Sunninghill Hospital (12km away). Based on this, we believe our emergency services responded appropriately," he said.
