Reviews of Crescent Clinic - Cape Town

Based on the following facts and findings I cannot recommend the Crescent Clinic „Private Psychiatric Clinic“:

After 3 days in bed with blood loss, diarrhea, nausea and dizziness the “Clinic” does not even manage to organize a GP to check on my wife’s’ the state of health. This misconduct leads, as of today to 3 days of non-participation of her 21-day psychiatric program. As her husband I am very concerned about her current state and even more about the almost non-existing care for her. Having been unable to contact my wife on multiple occasions I called the reception on Sept 12, 2015 at 2:38pm regarding my wife. The reception responded saying that she’s out and about in the garden. I then kindly asked to leave a message for her asking her to call back when possible and still now I haven’t had any feedback. Being somewhat concerned after a little while I did drive over to the Crescent Clinic “Private Psychiatric Clinic” and found my wife almost unable to move on her own with pain in bed. Perhaps a walk in the garden is a more convenient way to deal with a patient than to actually help this patient?

Besides this unpleasant case, it also came to my attention that psychiatric appointments are not respected and alternative meetings are neither suggested nor scheduled with the patient. All well planed at his clinic? Even blood tests announced for Friday are not even conducted the following day. This clinic feels like pure chaos and lacks coordination.

Is this all of negative feedback experienced at the Private clinic? Nope, not really. Booking a 2 bed room unit I was in the believe my wife would share a room with one other patient and consequently a bathroom with this patience. As a matter of fact, at this clinic 2 two bed room units share one bathroom of about 2.5sqm. Yes, this makes 4 patients for 1 toilet and 1 shower. On the other hand, single units have an identical plot – only difference is that „only“ 3 patients share one common bathroom instead of 4 patients.

Psychiatric needs of the patient are almost not respected. On certain days pets are allowed in the clinic’s garden (roughly 10 meters from the perimeter gateway) as long as they are kept on their leash. On other days this is forbidden based on the „order“ of the guard on duty. According to the reception area pets are even allowed in the reception area as long as they are kept on a leash. Almost nobody seems to know at this „clinic“ what it allowed, or forbidden. Signage, that could clear out any possible disagreement such as „no pets allowed“ are nowhere visible on the clinic’s premises. Unfortunately, what does remain unchanged is an unhappy patient.

Patients at the Crescent Clinic are only tolerated for bringing their hard-earned money, not for anything else though.