Cape Town - An Elsies River man plans to sue Tygerberg Hospital for negligence after he contracted an infection after having his teeth extracted and was left spitting blood for three days.
Valentino Jaftha, 42, says he had a “near-death experience” when he passed out in the hospital and vomited and defecated on himself.
Following the extraction of his two front bottom teeth, the father of four went to the hospital three times to tell dentists something was wrong.
“I had two teeth that grew too long so I went to the Oral Health Centre on 16 January. They took an X-ray and said it was fine to remove the teeth,” he explains.
“They gave me the injection, took the teeth out and put gauze in my mouth. When I got home, the pain started and my whole face started to swell.
Tygerberg Hospital will be sued for negligence. Picture: David Ritchie/African News Agency/ANA
“There were big blood clots coming out of the holes and it was stinking, so I went back and the dentist, Dr Smith, told me it’s normal. She cleaned my mouth and put in more gauze.”
Valentino says he continued to spit out large blood clots and went back twice more before he was helped.
“My face was swollen like Johnny Bravo and I looked like a cartoon. When I got to the hospital (on Friday) they told us we must wait and gave me a wheelchair,” he says.
“I felt warm and went to lie on the floor to get cool and then I started vomiting. Ek het myself nat gek**.”
Valentino was admitted and discharged on Sunday.
“Only then did the doctors tell me that I got an infection and low blood pressure,” he says.
“I want to take it further because they also could not find my file and I want answers.”
Health Department spokesman Mark van der Heever confirms that Jaftha had his teeth removed at the centre.
“This centre is on the premises of Tygerberg Hospital but operates separately from the hospital. He returned again on 18 January and was seen by an anaesthetist at the Oral Health Centre who noted his blood pressure was low and placed him on a drip, where after he was admitted to Tygerberg Hospital.”
Van der Heever says the infection could be due to many causes but the centre is investigating and will share its findings with Valentino.
“Mr Jafta was not refused access to his file. He enquired about his file at Tygerberg Hospital while his extractions were done at the Oral Health Centre where his file was kept.”
But the angry Wendy house builder says he will be taking the matter further. “I am also going to sue them for this and I have been unable to work because I am still sick.”