Health department silent after alleged hospital horror

But a nightmare of a different kind awaited a young woman (21) after she was led to believe Lydenburg Hospital had performed a dilation and curettage (D&C) procedure on her. A D&C is an operation to remove tissue from inside the uterus. The young woman contacted Steelburger/ Lydenburg News about her experience after reading two other articles regarding Lydenburg Hospital earlier this year. On Thursday January 29 (Hospital site visit by DA) and Thursday February 10 (Floodgates open with complaints of hospital) patients gave accounts of their experiences at the hospital. DA member of parliament, Sonja Boshoff, is aware of this case and has requested an investigation by the minister of health. She was also instrumental in launching a probe by the party after other patients had come forward with their stories. The newspaper has requested feedback and an investigation by the Department of Health on Friday March 12. The media liaison officer, Christopher Malamule, confirmed via WhatsApp and email that he had received the enquiry, but had not responded by the time going to press. The young woman had been admitted on Monday November 4, 2020, to remove the uterine content. She said her general practitioner confirmed that he could not find the foetus’ heartbeat. The young woman, who wished to remain anonymous, was 13 weeks pregnant. The sonar taken on that day clearly showed the foetus. She was operated on later that afternoon. “I continually asked the nurses and doctors with me if the baby would be gone when I woke. That was the last thing I remember before being put under,” she said. She claims doctor had explained the procedure to her as follows: “I will go through the vagina into the uterus and cut and scrape the uterus clean of the dead tissue.” She said that she was under the impression this had been done during the surgery. She said that she had the clarity of mind to take a photo of her hospital fi le. It clearly indicated no foetal heart rate and movement. On her discharge form it stated “evacuation done, sonar empty, gestational sac at 13 weeks and missed miscarriage”. The young woman was still having contractions after being discharged late the next afternoon (November 5). She and her boyfriend thought she was in the process of expelling the placenta and afterbirth, which was why she was still in pain. “We never imagined that the D&C procedure had not been completed.” She was in severe pain and had contractions during the night, and at one stage verified that her cervix was dilated. Her boyfriend had to leave for work at 05:00 and she was alone. She said her water broke and she expelled the foetus while on the toilet the next day. She held it in her hand, but was in such shock she fl ushed it down the toilet. About an hour later she expelled the placenta and afterbirth. She said she had taken a photo which she showed her general practitioner when her mother took her to see him. “The doctor was shocked, walked out of the room and said this was not supposed to happen,” she claimed. Her boyfriend saved the photo where she could not access it. It is available as evidence. “I can remember everything clearly, but I was so upset and even had suicidal thoughts. I thought ending my life must be much easier than losing my fi rst child and going through all the hurt I had experienced. I went for the D&C because I knew I didn’t have the right medical support at home and that my family would be at work. And after everything I still had to deal with it on my own and see the unborn foetus,” she said.