Hospital helps patient after botched op

Roshiella Pamela Adams-Billings, a botched medical surgery has left a 47 year old mother of two suicidal after visit to Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in June.Imege: Itumeleng English African News Agency (ANA)

Roshiella Pamela Adams-Billings, a botched medical surgery has left a 47 year old mother of two suicidal after visit to Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in June.Imege: Itumeleng English African News Agency (ANA)

Published Sep 29, 2022

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SIYABONGA SITHOLE

She might still be in a lot of pain, but Pamela Billings-Adams said she was grateful to The Star for intervening in her life-altering botched hysterectomy medical procedure done by Charlotte Maxeke Academic Hospital in June.

Following this surgery, Billings-Adams said she suffered a great deal of shame and embarrassment after the procedure left her with a weak bladder which made her life at home and at work a nightmare for the past three months.

“I had to keep a pack of adult diapers which I could not afford and had to downgrade to children’s diapers to wear around my private area to make sure I did not mess myself as my bladder had been badly affected by the surgery,” she said.

On the weekend following The Star’s expose, officials of the hospital made contact with the mother of three and set up an appointment for a reconstructive surgery to reverse the bladder damage.

On Tuesday, she was operated on and is now recovering at home. Adams-Billings said she was grateful for the help she received at the hands of this publication.

“I would like to believe that all my fears are gone now. I had surgery on Tuesday. So, I am still naturally in a lot of pain. However, I am grateful for the help. I believe this is simply the beginning of the hospital fixing their mistake. I was told to come back in seven weeks for further tests to see if this procedure has worked. I am thankful that for now, I do not have to keep waiting for someone to get back to me,” she said.

Hospital spokesperson Tabudi Madisha said they had taken steps to ensure that the patient was treated against the effects of the previous operation, adding that they were still investigating the matter and once all the investigation was done, the hospital would communicate its findings.

“We have since established contact with the patient. Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to reveal the exact details of her surgery and what exactly happened but we have since made an appointment with her with another follow-up appointment date set up.

“The patient has been assisted and everything communicated to her. A complaint was lodged and feedback will be provided to the complainant once all the reports become available as per Occupational Health and Safety prescripts,” Madisha said.

Last week, the 47-year-old patient relayed her experience and shame of walking and working with a weak bladder which had left her incontinent saying she was forced to rush home to relive herself after work as she used public transport adding that at night she barely could sleep due to the need to wake up in the middle of the night to find the restroom.

“It was becoming embarrassing having to explain myself to my youngest son who would ask me why I was always sowing baby nappies at night. I would tell him I was working on a work project to hide behind the fact that I was using baby nappies instead of adult nappies to keep away my wee from messing me at night and when I am at work,” she said.

Now that the reconstructive operation has been done on her, Adams-Billings said she hoped this would be the end of her nightmare and a beginning of a normal life.

“I am usually a jolly person who loves socialising but the past three months my life had changed. I just hope this is the end of a deeply frustrating three months of my life. I was starting to lose hope, but my hope has been restored,” she said.

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