Family accuses Themba Hospital of negligence
A family of a person with a disability is threatening to take legal action against Themba Hospital, following claims of medical negligence and missing files in this public institution.
The Mokoena family alleged that Petunia Mokoena, who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, was admitted to the hospital for treatment.
The family claimed that Mokoena’s situation worsened while receiving medical treatment there, caused by her being neglected for two days, they said.
Millicent Makamu, a family member, said, “Petunia was healthy and normal when she was born on June 2, 2010. As a family we believe that she was neglected by the nurses, since there was a protest at the hospital at that time. The hospital informed us after six months that they had discovered that Petunia was disabled. But the hospital failed to inform us that a child like Petunia could not walk, talk or do anything on her own, like other normal children.
At that time they did confirm there had been negligence.
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“Petunia used to be taken to see a psychotherapist, but in 2018 they reported that her file was missing and they had to stop her from having consultations with the psychotherapist.
“All we want is justice to be served for Petunia. The hospital must take responsibility. The hospital can’t even provide us with a wheelchair or get her to be placed in a safe environment. The situation at home is very bad.”
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The provincial Department of Health’s spokesperson, Chris Nobela, said it was aware of the matter and has since instituted an investigation.
“We are still trying to find out what happened to the patient and whether her condition was caused by medical negligence by the hospital as the family claims. We will inform you of our findings once we have concluded our own investigation into the matter,” said Nobela.
