With the furore over the babies-in-boxes saga at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital having barely died down, the facility is in trouble again after advice allegedly given by one of its senior doctors to a junior doctor at another hospital.
The Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) said it was looking into the allegations against the doctor, who heads a unit at the hospital, after it received an anonymous complaint a few months ago.
In January, the unit head allegedly advised a junior paediatrician at Gelukspan District Hospital to wrap two ice cubes in plastic and put it around the head of a newborn baby to reduce her temperature, reports News24.
“The baby was in respiratory distress and required oxygen; her blood sugar after delivery was 19.6, with tachycardia and tachypnoea (rapid breathing) reported. The patient required advanced care and monitoring, which are not adequately performed at district-level hospitals,” the complaint stated.
According to the complainant, the baby’s condition didn't improve, and the next day she was having convulsions, so anti-epileptic medication and fluid bolus (fluid infusion) were administered.
“The medical officer spoke to the head of (the unit) at Mahikeng Hospital, who told her to cool the infant down by wrapping two ice cubes in plastic and placing it around the baby’s head. The medical officer did as instructed, fetching the ice cubes from her fridge at her home,” the complainant alleged.
But apparently, the baby’s condition remained unchanged, being recorded that evening at 39.3 to 39.2 degrees Celsius. The baby also had apnoeic attacks (temporary cessation of breathing).
The junior paediatrician then spoke to another senior medical officer at Mahikeng Provincial Hospital and mentioned the ice-cube therapy.
That medical officer then told the Gelukspan doctor to remove the ice blocks immediately, change the fluid therapy, and repeat blood investigations.
The next day the baby’s temperature started to settle and her condition continued to be managed at the district hospital.
In the complaint to the HPCSA, concern about the unit head’s clinical capabilities was expressed.
“… most of the decisions did not reflect the clinical capabilities of a senior specialist with years of clinical experience. This is of more concern, given he also practises as an independent specialist at the private hospital”.
HPCSA spokesperson Christopher Tsatsawane said the council was investigating the matter.
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Mahikeng Hospital gets 18 incubators after box saga
SA’s sick hospitals: Dysfunction in Bloem, limping along in Mahikeng
Mahikeng doctor defies strike violence to deliver babies