Durban - The parents who were taken to court by the KZN Health MEC for not allowing their son to have a blood transfusion, wanted the interim order to be set aside.
The matter was heard in the Durban High Court on Wednesday.
On September 28, Judge Graham Lopes made an order instructing that the couple's 5-year-old son, who suffers from sickle cell anaemia be given the blood transfusion, if necessary.
On Wednesday the couple made an application to have the interim order set aside.
However Advocate Dashendra Naidoo, acting on behalf of the paediatrician at Addington Hospital and the KZN Health MEC, argued that it should not happen as it was not in the best interest of the minor child to discharge the order.
Naidoo argued that the child's haemoglobin levels (oxygen levels in the blood) are still below the normal range and sick cell anaemia is a highly unpredictable disease.
The order was extended until February 26.
The urgent application was brought by Dr Noxolo Mbadi, head of Paediatrics at Addington Hospital, and KZN Health MEC Sibongiseni Dhlomo.
Mbadi became concerned with the child's oxygen level and said in court papers that if the child did not receive a blood transfusion he could suffer a stroke or die.
But the parents are adamant that an alternative medical approach worked.
The couple, who are hearing impaired, spoke to POST through their translator, Silas Ngetar in an earlier interview.
“This was evident in the fact that while they did not want the blood transfusion, they found a medical alternative.”