Durban - Eighty-four-year-old Isabella Smith had once lived an active and happy life, travelling often to visit her five children in England, Canada, Mozambique and Namibia.
However, after knee replacement surgery in May 2010 when she was allegedly given formalin to drink instead of water, she was forced to move into an old age home and is now too afraid to travel.
“She leads a lonely existence in an old age facility. Prior to the operation, she assisted the family in the home and with child care. Her life was filled with meaning, purpose and social interaction,” said clinical psychologist, Nirvernie Elder, who testified during Smith’s civil trial against the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health.
Read: Pensioner recounts hospital horror ordeal
The trial began this week in the Durban High Court before Judge Graham Lopes. Smith is suing the department for R1 million for medical negligence.
She testified to being admitted to Grey’s Hospital in Pietermaritzburg in May 2010 for knee replacement surgery.
While in the recovery ward after surgery, she had asked for water and said the anaesthetist had instead brought her a cup with formalin. She had taken a huge gulp and had then screamed she was being burned.
Formalin is a colourless solution of formaldehyde in water, used chiefly as a preservative for biological specimens.
As a result of drinking the formalin, Smith said she had to endure excruciating pain and suffering, had to remain in hospital for six weeks longer than she originally had to and suffered other symptoms, including severe vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhoea.
She said she still could not enjoy a normal diet, had suffered “significant weight loss” and had to undergo a gastroscopy.
Elder’s report said Smith suffered from constant hunger pangs, dizziness, bouts of anxiety, an upset stomach, loneliness and feelings of hopelessness.
She said Smith carried a constant memory of terrible burning pain and of being hurt. The report also said Smith only learnt she had ingested formalin when her friend visited her in hospital and read the medical notes.
The clinical psychologist also found that Smith suffered from chronic post traumatic stress disorder.
On Thursday, Smith’s lawyer, advocate Rocky Ramdass, instructed by Siva Chetty and Company, called their final witness to the stand, D Sithembiso Coka, a specialist physician and nephrologist.
Coka said while he was in training he had seen an average of two to three cases annually in the emergency environment of formalin ingestion.
He said it was unacceptable that Smith was given activated charcoal, to treat the ingestion, one hour and 40 minutes after ingesting the solution.
“It should’ve been given immediately,” he testified.
Coka conceded, though, that the doctors would have had to establish how to treat it and get the ingredients, hence a delay.
He testified that a gastroscopy was not performed within 24 hours of the ingestion as expected and that an ear, nose and throat specialist was not called in.
Coka also found a nurse’s 2am entry to be a “bit suspicious” and said he was more inclined to believe the doctor’s note at 11.30am. The nurse had reported that the patient had spent a fair night and noted that Smith was eating well.
Coka said a patient would not be eating at that time of the morning and that the doctor had reported Smith had vomited that night and in the morning.
The trial continues.
Daily News