Man can lose his leg due to lack of orthopedic surgeons at Lebowakgomo Hospital
After falling from scaffolding on 18 May, Jack Malesa, was admitted to the Lebowakgomo Hospital for a compound fracture of the leg; now he might lose his leg after infection has set in while he could not be operated upon.
POLOKWANE – This is according to Adv Sekiti Phaladi, who visited Malesa in hospital.
“This patient will die,” he said, adding the wound is infected and Malesa will experience blood poisoning.
At the moment the family of the patient has visited the patient with the aim of removing the patient from the hospital to get him proper medical attention in Polokwane today.
Malesa was admitted to the Lebowakgomo Hospital after he fell. His leg was put in plaster of paris, which was removed after two days. He was then told he had to be transferred to the Mokopane Hospital for surgery.
He was transferred to Mokopane on 25 May and received no water or food for two days while awaiting the surgery, but on 30 May he was told he could not receive surgery as there was nobody who could operate on him. He was subsequently transferred back to Lebowakgomo Hospital.
His leg became seriously infected while he was sent from pillar to post and Phaladi said this infection might result in Malesa’s leg being amputated.
The advocate asked to speak to the doctor in charge but was referred to another doctor to whom he spoke telephonically. Phaladi said the family wanted to know what was going to happen and what plans the doctor had for the treatment of Malesa’s leg.
The doctor allegedly refused to speak to him and was, according to Phaladi, rude and adamant that he was not going to discuss the patient with him. He also spoke to the Manager, Clinical Services at the hospital, later the day, who promised to come back to him, but to date (up to Monday) has not done so.
Neil Shikwambana, Spokesperson for the Department of Health, said the public healthcare system does not have adequate orthopaedic surgeons. “Due to a lack of orthopaedic surgeons at Lebowakgomo Hospital, the patient and three others were referred to Mokopane Hospital where there was an MEC Orthopaedic Letsema on 26 and 27 May.
During this campaign, the MEC for Health gets orthopaedic specialists from other provinces to conduct operations during their spare time in order to reduce backlogs for orthopaedic operations.
Unfortunately the surgical procedure could not be done due to the high number of patients awaiting the operation. As such the patient was transferred back to Lebowakgomo Hospital where the orthopaedic team is taking care of him,” Shikwambana said.
Phaladi over the weekend tried to get hold of a private orthopaedic surgeon, without success. He said the patient cannot afford the services of a private hospital.
On Monday Phaladi said the family of the patient has visited the patient “with the aim of removing him from the hospital to get him proper medical attention in Polokwane at a private physician.”
BONUS’ sister publication in Mokopane, Bosveld, recently reported on a 48-year-old woman, Granny Madikwe, who passed away on 18 May after having waited since 29 March, when she was hit by a taxi and suffered a fracture to her left leg and hip, to be operated on by an orthopaedic surgeon.
She was only transferred to Mokopane Hospital on 9 May, three weeks later, effectively after a seven-week period in total. She underwent surgery at Mokopane Hospital on 16 May. Two days later, on 18 May, she passed away.
“She had no history of other ailments. Had she been treated timeously and been given the necessary medication, she would still have been alive today,” DA Spokesperson on Health, Langa Bodlani, said.
She leaves behind a husband, two dependent children and a granddaughter. Bodlani said the DA would write to the Health Ombudsman, Professor Malegapuru Makgoba, requesting him to urgently investigate the circumstances that led to her death.
