Pretoria - Steve Biko Academic Hospital doctors cut open a patient’s leg and when they realised they could not do anything further, they allegedly offered to amputate it but she refused. She was then sent home with a gaping wound.
Christinah Mdunana, of Danville, said she was confused and irritated and received no counselling from the hospital.
“I refused outright to have my leg amputated. I then phoned my mother and asked to be fetched.”
Mdunana moved in with her sister at an informal settlement in Atteridgeville, where her 71-year-old mother, Nomatile Mdunana, is taking care of her.
She has spent the last two weeks sitting on a couch covered with a blanket and writhing in pain, with the large wound still open and her inner skin tissue exposed.
The 42-year-old mother of one child cannot bath without assistance, nor help herself to the toilet. Her mother takes care of her every need.
Mdunana told the Pretoria News she had a normal life until she suddenly felt pain in her left leg.
“I thought it meant nothing,” she said.
“Then when I reported for work, my leg got swollen.”
She cooks and cleans at a daycare centre in Clarina, north of the city.
Mdunana said she informed her employer, who took her to a doctor. However, the doctor could not help her and said the problem required intense medical attention.
She was then referred to Steve Biko Hospital, where she was admitted on March 11 and put on two drips upon arrival.She was then asked to sign a theatre agreement form and underwent an analgesia surgical procedure on April 1.
“To my surprise, when I woke up, my leg was cut open on both sides. I was in pain. They told me that my leg had a poison.
“I was shocked that a blood clot that was previously diagnosed was now being referred to as poison just after surgery,” she said.
Mdunana said she was shown a letter that detailed what was wrong with her. In the letter, which the Pretoria News has seen, the department of surgery at the hospital stated that she was diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis in her left leg and peripheral vascular disease.
“Warfarin process was performed on the patient but had to be stopped due to toxicity, and after compartment syndrome developed, fasciotomy (limb-saving procedure) was done,” the letter read.
It also said that at the time of operation, it was found that the muscles were contracting poorly and the limb was declared non-viable... Therefore knee amputation was planned.
“I was furious and confused to be informed that my leg needed to be amputated. In fact, the nurse gave me an ultimatum of either amputation or go home.
“I called my mother and told her about the amputation and she came to the hospital straight away.
“They could not give her a full explanation on why my leg had to be amputated.”
A day later, she left with her mother, who said on Thursday: “I could not allow my daughter’s leg to be removed. Why was it not suggested before the operation?”
Life has been a struggle since then with no money for medication to treat the wounds.
Gauteng Department of Heath spokesman Steve Mabona said: “After the procedure was conducted on her, because of clinical reasons, the wound was left open.”
He said clinicians realised there were more procedures to be conducted, but the patient refused treatment.
Mabona denied the wound was open when the patient left the hospital.
“It was dressed, and then she left,” he explained.
“We are going to interact with her about coming back to the facility for further treatment accordingly.”
Dr Mzukisi Grootboom, of the South African Medical Association, said he was surprised at the pain Mdunana had to go through.
“Treatment arrangements and procedures had to be given to a patient before leaving hospital - but most important, the patient should not have been allowed to leave the hospital with such an open wound, irrespective of the circumstances.
“The hospital failed the patient, but I urgently advise that she seeks medical attention.”
Grootboom said thorough counselling should also have been provided for the patient as it could have been traumatising to hear that she faced amputation.
Pretoria News