Family alleges medical negligence at LTT hospital
A family accuses Tshilidzini Hospital of medical negligence after a young mother’s health deteriorates in their care.
LIMPOPO – The Mudau family from Ha-Mutsha Khwekhwe village in Louis Trichardt has accused Tshilidzini Hospital of gross medical negligence, alleging that a series of critical mishandlings left 34-year-old Dzulani Trecia Mudau in a severely deteriorated condition.
In early 2023, Dzulani was informed of her pregnancy and on July 30, she checked into the hospital for an antenatal care check-up to ensure her pregnancy was progressing well.
The Mudau family believes that the hospital’s alleged failure to monitor her condition, ignoring her cries for help, and delaying responses to life-threatening complications – directly contributed to her worsening health. They are now demanding accountability from the Department of Health and urgent medical intervention for Dzulani before it is too late.
On August 6, 2023, when the family tried to contact Dzulani, she was unreachable. They rushed to the hospital, only to find her bed empty. “When we arrived, the nurses were rude, dismissive, and evasive. They could not tell us where she was. Some admitted that the night before, she had sought medical help but was ignored,” said Tshifhiwa Mudau.
Just six days after childbirth, Dzulani developed a rectovaginal fistula – a painful and debilitating condition often caused by trauma during childbirth. The family believes that surgical errors, inadequate postnatal care, or prolonged medical neglect may have caused it.
Later, the family learned that Dzulani had suffered a stroke, which had gone unnoticed until it was too late. She was rushed to the ICU, where she remained for 10 days before being transferred back to the general ward. Despite her condition, the hospital discharged her on September 24, 2023, without providing a clear treatment plan or urgent specialist care.
Her mother, Evelyn Mudau, was told she would be referred to a major hospital, but no immediate action was taken. Desperate and frustrated by the hospital’s inaction, the family took matters into their own hands, travelling to the Pietersburg Provincial Hospital on November 14 for a scheduled appointment. Doctors there immediately confirmed the rectovaginal fistula diagnosis and requested a full medical report from Tshilidzini to determine what had gone wrong.
After spending over a week at the hospital, Dzulani was sent home still in critical condition and without a clear treatment plan. “We want justice, and we will not stop until something is done,” said Evelyn Mudau.
Dzulani is currently unable to move, speak, or perform any tasks on her own.
She requires a full-time caregiver, and even her most basic needs must be met by others.
“We are struggling to afford her new needs. The family had previously relied on a temporary grant to purchase essentials such as disposable nappies, but the grant was stopped.
“We cannot afford to buy her nappies anymore, so we have resorted to using cloth,” said Evelyn Mudau.
Department of Health spokesperson Neil Shikwambana confirmed that the department is aware of the complaint and is engaging with the family.
“We have taken note of the issue and are engaging the complainant. We choose not to engage in parallel activities, such as making public statements.
“We will comment on the issue in due course,” he said.
This case highlights ongoing concerns about medical negligence in the province’s healthcare system. In February 2022, it was reported that Department of Health faced medical negligence claims in excess of R14b, with Tshilidzini Hospital contributing significantly to this amount.
