According to Ronel Stols, the mother of the seven-year-old boy, the child was admitted to the hospital on January 27 after being transferred from Bertha Gxowa Hospital in Germiston after he accidentally put his leg in a spinning washing machine, resulting in six breaks in his one leg.
Stols also told this publication that her child needed an urgent operation yet no operation has been done; he has been in serious pain since.
“After the accident, we took him to Bertha Gxowa Hospital because we do not have medical aid. They examined him and then transferred him to the Vosloorus-based hospital on the same day.
“We were told they were going to operate on him the following day, but the operation did not happen.
“We were told the cause for the delay is because specialists were not present and that the operation could not continue without the specialists present because something might go wrong and the hospital will be blamed for it. This reason we understood. We were also told of the possibility of the child being operated on Wednesday, which gave us hope that Dominic would be out of pain on Wednesday. But no operation was conducted on this day either,” Stols said.
She said what upset her the most is that Dominic was starved while waiting for the operation that hasn’t happened.
“We were also promised he would be operated on February 3, but until today (February 4) he has not been operated on.”
This publication contacted the Thelle Mogoerane Hospital to find out the cause of the delay in conducting the operation. The hospital acting chief executive officer (CEO), Dr. Michael Malaka, said that the child was admitted to the hospital on January 28, not January 27.
“Dominic was admitted on January 28. Therefore, he couldn’t be operated on as children are only operated on Mondays. With regards to the statement made by the mother that the patient was starved, please note that the doctor issued an instruction that he must not be given food on Wednesday for an hour as there was a possibility that he could be taken to the theatre. However, this did not materialise and the patient continued to receive food. The patient is number six on the operating list and was supposed to be operated on February 3. The operation was again not conducted on the day as it was discovered that the child had low blood pressure as soon as he got to the theatre and had to undergo a blood transfusion. There is a possibility that the child will be operated on February 5,” said Malaka.
Looking at the fact that February 5 was around the corner, Kathorus MAIL asked the hospital if the blood transfusion has been done. Malaka answered no, but could not give clear reasons as to why the blood transfusion hasn’t been done.
This has upset the parents of the in-pain seven-year-old as there is no certainty that their child will be operated on February 5.
“We are afraid that the bone will heal itself while the child is still waiting for the operation, which may result in the bone not returning to its normal position. This may result in Dominic being cripple,” the mother added.
Stols insisted her boy was admitted on January 27 just after 9pm.
