The Human Rights Commission (HRC) is initiating an investigation into the Eastern Cape’s Livingstone Hospital in Gqeberha after a growing litany of serious complaints about treatment and botched surgery, with one reported case leading to a fatality.
The commission’s provincial manager, Dr Eileen Carter, said the matter would be addressed through its gazetted complaints-handling procedures, “which include urgently engaging with the Department of Health within the province”.
One case involved an otherwise healthy 18-year-old autistic teenager being wheeled into theatre for an appendectomy – and returning partially sighted, battling septicaemia and tuberculosis.
Eight harrowing months later, his mother, Natasha Orien, had to resign from her full-time teaching job to become a full-time nurse for her son at home.
But this is not an isolated incident, reports HeraldLIVE.
In June, Andiswa Vulani (26) went to the same hospital complaining of stomach pains, and also underwent an operation for suspected appendicitis.
But her wounds turned septic and she eventually died at her home of septicaemia.
Since then, at least five more people have come forward, claiming to have had a similar experience.
One of them is Rudi Lohmann, who entered Livingstone for an appendix operation – and was also wheeled out with septicaemia.
The consequences – 107 days booked off sick.
Lohmann said after suffering from lower back pain, a CT scan showed an inflamed appendix. He was referred to a specialist.
The father of three said the specialist, and other doctors at Livingstone, agreed the appendix should be removed and a laparoscopic appendectomy performed.
“I arrived home after surgery, and after a week or two started changing colour and became extremely yellow, along with huge weight loss. I could hardly hold food down.”
Lohmann went to the doctor, who sent a referral letter for emergency casualties at Livingstone where he was immediately given a bed.
“I was told they wanted to do exploratory surgery and would take blood and see if they found anything.
“They came back saying I had to go into surgery, and that’s all I remember before I went into septic shock and fainted.
“I woke up in ICU three days later unaware of anything that had happened to me, with staples on my stomach.”
He had since been suffering from painful stomach cramps, and had to book off sick from work for a month. “I eventually went to see someone else about the problem, and was told I had permanent reflux disease and peptic ulcers.”
He now takes antacids every day, a consequence of the appendix removal, he was told.
Cynthia Loro’s 27-year-old daughter had a similar experience in March.
“She complained of stomach cramps and severe vomiting and went to a hospital in Motherwell,” her mother said.
“They did tests and sent her home, but the pain returned and she was sent to Livingstone, where they realised her appendix had burst.
“She then also got septicaemia and it affected her heart so they operated again, two or three times, when they realised all the pus hadn’t been removed.
“She was close to death….”
Eastern Cape Health spokesperson Sizwe Kupelo said as appendicitis was an infection of the bowel, “patients can develop septicaemia, especially if they present late or with co-morbidities that increase their risk of post-op complications”.
“We have performed several such operations between the cited procedures without necessarily having complications of septicaemia.
“Each case has to be investigated on its merits and unique set of circumstances.”
He said in the first case, the appendix was already gangrenous before surgery and doctors had acted swiftly to save the teen’s life.
Regarding the other complaints, he was “not at liberty to divulge patients’ personal information”.
HeraldLIVE article – Livingstone patients’ horror stories under investigation (Restricted access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
DA: Dramatically reduced budget leaves Livingstone Hospital hamstrung
Nehawu criticises conditions at PE’s Livingstone Hospital
Trauma cases strain EC's Livingstone Hospital to the limit