Autopsy results on the 23-year-old Lizka Nell will help her parents decide whether they will take legal action against the hospital in Brits from where she was discharged with painkillers and antibiotics, two days before she died.

Nell was admitted to the Brits District Hospital on September 8, after she and a friend were attacked and shot at a resort near Hartbeespoort. She sustained gunshot wounds to her chest, abdomen and arm.

Her friend Nicholas Wincento (25) was shot in the leg.

According to Nell’s mother, Wanda, X-rays were taken at the hospital and a doctor told them he could see no damage. The couple was then discharged.

The following day Lizka fell ill, and she was rushed to Potchefstroom Provincial Hospital.

According to Wanda, she was operated on and doctors discovered that her colon and small intestines were damaged and had to be repaired. However, the operation could not be completed because she was too weak.

She died the next morning.

“We are waiting for the autopsy results and will then decide on legal action,” Nell’s mother said.

The North West Department of Health said it would issue a statement regarding the alleged negligence at Brits District Hospital when Kormorant enquired about the matter shortly after Nell’s death.

The only response to the newspaper’s enquiries was that ‘the incident has been handed over to the department’s quality assurance for investigation’.

Spokesperson for the department, Tebogo Lekgwetane said the district office had appointed investigators to investigate the case and that the employees who were on duty at the time were interviewed.

“We are still awaiting the report from the investigators,” Lekgwetane said.