Gangrene patient allegedly neglected

LYDENBURG – The Shabalala family is fuming, alleging that Lydenburg Provincial Hospital neglected one of its relatives. On May 14, Mr Joseph Shabalala (73) was admitted after the medical centre stated that his foot might have become gangrenous from diabetes. He was referred to the hospital for immediate amputation.

According to a family member, Mr Oupa Mthimunye, it had started as a wound on his right foot. “We rushed him to a doctor who told us his leg would have to be cut off below the knee as the gangrene was spreading.”

Mthimunye was given forms to fill in, to agree to the operation which was to take place the following day. A week later Shabalala’s sister, Ms Grace Shabalala, received a phone call from the hospital informing them Shabalala hd been discharged.

“I went to fetch him the next day but I was surprised to see there’d been no operation and the foot was worse. I took him back the following week. He was admitted, and I was told they would operate that week,” Mthimunye added.

Three months later he visited the hospital in the hope that his uncle’s foot had been amputated, but discovered that nothing had been done. He refused to take him home and informed the doctor who was on duty about the situation and the doctor told him to come and see him sometime.

“After another week the hospital said he could be discharged. I refused to take my uncle home, I was asked to sign second consent form for the operation and was told it would be done on Wednesday the following week.” Mthimunye said.

He told the newspaper that the following week, he again visited the hospital and nothing had changed. He asked why the operation was not performed. A provincial doctor only known as Mashilo apparently told Mthiminye that another doctor allegedly said that if he amputated Shabalala’s foot he might die.

“Another provincial doctor called Sekgwane told me my uncle had been discharged and I was supposed to take him to Rob Ferreira Hospital in Mbombela for the operation. I refused and told him this was fraud and there were government vehicles used to transport patients, or else they could write me a referral letter but he refused to do so.

At first he told me that there were no beds available at Rob Ferreira Hospital and that he had written a letter to the MEC and was waiting for the CEO to sign it.

“I think they are taking advantage of my family because we are poor, because we cannot afford medical aid. My uncle is in pain with a foul-smelling rotting foot and now they are intimidating me, stating that when I alerted the press, it was unlawful.” Mthimunye added.

After the newspaper intervened in the matter in early September, the hospital decided to transfer Shabalala to Rob Ferreira for the operation they refused to admit him. He was then referred back to Lydenburg Hospital and the family was told that the hospital had to perform the operation there, as they had the resources.

Since then the family never heard anything from the hospital about Shabalala’s situation. In the meantime, Shabalala has disappeared from Lydenburg Hospital. The family was certain about his whereabouts until a source within the hospital met Mthimunye and told him that his uncle had been taken to either Pretoria or Johannesburg. This was also done without the family’s permission.

Queries were sent to spokesperson for Mpumalanga Health, Mr Dumisani Malamule for comment. The department responded and said, “Thank you very much for the media inquiry. The department would like to respond as follows. The department has requested the hospital to submit a full report, and as soon as we receive the report a response will be communicated to you.”

In the meantime, the family has no idea where Shabalala is or whether or not he has received the much-needed operation.