KZN mom endures long wait for vital surgery

Schae Burlin Thomas from Wentworth, Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, has been on the hip surgery waiting list for almost two years.

In an interview with The Citizen, Thomas said since she was diagnosed with a hip problem in March last year, she had been unable to walk without a walking assistance device.

The 29-year-old Thomas said when the sickness was diagnosed doctors recommended that she go back to government hospitals for surgery.

‘I will be in pain for another full year’

“I visited many hospitals in the province but I did not get any help as they kept on turning me away. I have been on the waiting list for a long time now. I was told that my appointment will be in May, which means I will be in pain for another full year,” said Thomas.

The Citizen has seen a hospital card confirming that she will undergo surgery on 27 May, 2025 at the Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital in KZN.

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Thomas, who has lost her job as a sales agent due to her condition, said she was also struggling to take care of her two children.

Problem started after giving birth

Her problem started early last year after giving birth at Wentworth Hospital in KZN.

“When I went to the hospital I was healthy. Even during my pregnancy, I was perfectly fine. When I was in the labour ward, nurses started to mistreat me,” she said.

“A nurse checked how far I was and said everything was under control. I could see that she was confused, so a doctor came about an hour later to check and found that I was already in labour.

“When going to the delivery room, the way the nurse moved me didn’t feel right. After delivery, I was left helpless in a pool of blood for about two hours and nurses were on their phones. I had to call for assistance and eventually, they assisted me to get up. That’s where I felt that my legs had a problem,” said Thomas.

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At first, she thought the pain was caused by the fact that she had just given birth and stitched.

She claimed the nurses said there was nothing wrong with her and discharged her.

Department looking for to helping Thomas

Sibongiseni Mkhize, from the KZN department of health, said they were looking forward to assisting Thomas.

“Please provide the patient’s contact details so that we can determine what happened and offer assistance.”