Eastern Cape Health is being sued for R3m after a doctor removed as mother's uterus, allegedly without her knowledge, when she developed an infection after her Caesarean section, reports DispatchLIVE.
Siphesihle Mtyingezane (26), of Somerville village in Tsolo, gave birth to her son at the local Dr Malizo Mpehle Hospital in October 2017. She was later transferred to Nelson Mandela Academic Hospital in Mthatha, where her womb was removed.
Mtyingezane said doctors broke the news to her only after they had removed her womb. She reportedly told the Daily Dispatch that after a doctor performed a C-section to deliver her baby she developed a severe infection. 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,’ but added: ‘I will not discuss the merits of this case.’
Full DispatchLIVE report (Restricted access)