Committee assists mom with son’s artificial leg

One of the petitions tabled before the Legislature’s Public Participation and Petitions Committee last week Thursday was that of Sophy Rhandzu Baloyi whose nine-year old son’s leg was amputated last year in Mankweng Hospital last year.
The matter as cited on the programme stated that the mother alleged her son’s leg was amputated without her permission at the Mankweng Hospital.
It however transpired that she had been informed about the procedure.

Baloyi also wanted assistance with a house in which to bring her son up as well as aid when he outgrows the artificial leg supplied to him.
She said he was growing older and outgrowing the leg, which needed to be replaced. It was not mentioned why the child’s leg needed to be amputated.
Committee Chairperson Elias Nong, through a translator and acting Head of the Department of Health, Peter Kgapola assured Baloyi that the department would assist her and agreed to look into the case.
They would make sure that the leg will be replaced. Nong said that if at any stage she needed assistance, she should approach the department or even the petitions committee, also if she or the child needs counselling. The committee will also involve the Department of Human Settlements to see if she can be assisted with a house.
Other petitions tabled were for a clinic at Phephene village near Tzaneen.
The petitioner said the clinic was
8 km from the village, but he was told that other clinics were even further from the villages, some as far as 20 km, and it was not possible to build a clinic within walking distance of each person.
Another pensioner, requesting assistance with the calculations of her retirement benefits, was helped quickly, and she returned some hours later to thank those who assisted her.
A pensioner requesting intervention for her son who had been involved in an accident was referred to the Roads Accident Fund for assistance.

Story: NELIE ERASMUS
>>nelie.observer@gmail.com

Featured photo: Sophy Baloyi.