An Eastern Cape mother is suing the provincial health department for R3m after a doctor removed her womb, allegedly without her knowledge, when she developed an infection after her Caesarean section.
Siphesihle Mtyingezane, 26, of Somerville village in Tsolo, gave birth to her son at the local Dr Malizo Mpehle Hospital in October 5 2017.
She was later transferred to Nelson Mandela Academic hospital, in Mthatha, where her womb was removed.
Mtyingezane said doctors only broke the news to her after they had removed her womb.
She told the Dispatch that after a doctor performed a C-section to deliver her baby she developed a severe infection.
We took a decision to defend all medico-legal claims as some of them are believed to be done on a chance-taking basis. Events articulated here are most unlikely
According to her lawyer, Thobani Noah, the claim for damages against the MEC for health was submitted in 2019 and he was awaiting a trial date.
Health department spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said: “What is being alleged here is most unlikely.”
He said most similar claims were lodged by chance-takers.
“We took a decision to defend all medico-legal claims as some of them are believed to be done on a chance-taking basis.
“Events articulated here are most unlikely.
“They are not in line with our procedures, but I will not discuss the merits of this case,” Kupelo said.
Noah said: “After three days she started to experience abdominal pains and lost her appetite.
“She reported this to the nursing staff but they ignored her.
She told them there was something wrong with her operation but they did nothing to assist her. On the third day after having given birth, she could not walk and was in a lot of pain
“She told them there was something wrong with her operation but they did nothing to assist her.
“On the third day after having given birth, she could not walk and was in a lot of pain.
“When she forced herself to stand — her incision line opened up and she told me that dark, smelly fluids came out of the wound and there was a foul smell in the ward.
“She also says staff at Dr Malizo tried to operate on her at least three times.
“But before her incision opened up they refused to assist my client — saying she had been discharged.”
Noah said it was only after the operation that the doctors at Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital told his client that they had to remove her womb to save her life.
“She was never made aware that the womb would be removed.
“It was a junior doctor who attended to her. Had it been a senior doctor — we are of the view that her womb would have not been removed.
“I think [removing the womb] was not the only resort to save her life.
“Looking at her age and knowing that she will never have children is painful to her.
“We are in the process of getting a trial date. The registry of the high court should get back to us soon.”
Mtyingezane said: “This has destroyed my life because even if I were to be in a relationship I know I’m just playing because there’s nothing I can offer my partner in terms of having children.”
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