UPDATE: Outpouring of care for Maphumulo family

Five-year-old Nosipho Dube opened her eyes last week, two months after her mother had been told by Stanger Hospital to take her daughter home to die.

Maphumulo mother Nomusa Khuzwayo was in despair after she was sent back to her simple home with her unconscious daughter after weeks of treatment at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital and Stanger Hospital with a few bottles of baby formula and told to change her breathing and feeding tubes herself, but that Nosipho would probably die.

Their saga started when Nosipho was admitted to Stanger Hospital in April, sick and vomiting.

Also read: Maphumulo mother told to “take her daughter home to die”

Her mother was told that Nosipho had TB and she was given treatment. She kept on vomiting and when she asked about that, she was told it was a reaction to the drugs.

After a few days, she was moved to Inkosi Albert Luthuli Hospital, where she spent five more days. After a scan, the staff said she did not have TB but had fluid on the brain.

“An operation was conducted and the situation of my child became worse. She was just lying down there unconscious with pipes around her. After a few days, they said they want to take Nosipho for a scan again and check why she was not waking up, they did the scan and told me that she has brain cancer. They asked me to allow them to put a breathing tube and treat cancer. I agreed but the situation did not change. After a few days, Nosipho opened her eyes and I was called and told that they have failed to help her and apologised,” said Khuzwayo.

The child was taken back to Stanger Hospital but after a few days, Khuzwayo was told nothing more could be done. She should take Nosipho home, where she would probably die.

The hospital gave her four bottles of baby formula and said Khuzwayo herself would have to change the breathing and feeding tubes that were inserted in Nosipho, without any training. Afraid to change the tubes she returned to Stanger Hospital but was told to take the child to a clinic. She received no help from the clinic and was told to return to the hospital.

In desperation, she told her story to the Courier.

“After the story was published in the paper, I received a lot of phone calls and support from different people, others visiting us to pray for Nosipho. I also got a visit from staff and a doctor from the Stanger Hospital who came and checked her and promised to return soon.

“When the doctor recently checked her at home, he said I was taking good care of her and complimented me for being brave and changing the tubes.

“They changed the tubes and gave me baby formula.”

Khuzwayo said that before the doctor visited her home, she had received a call from the hospital, asking her to take Nosipho back to the hospital. But she refused.

“I was afraid to take her to Stanger Hospital or Chief Albert Luthuli Hospital because they had told me that she was going to die. I was willing to take her to another hospital but not these two,” said Khuzwayo.

KZN Department of Health had previously said the story did not correspond with their records. They did not respond to further questions sent last week.

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