Bheki Mbongwa, 47, is bedridden at the hospital after two operations where incisions were left open.
The family believe these were botched procedures conducted by staff at the facility.
Dudu Ngema, 46, Mbongwa’s fiancée, said nurses would interrogate him about what he told his family, after each hospital visit.
“This has taken its toll on me and our daughter. He was admitted in 2015 with ulcers and was operated on. After he was discharged, he had difficulty with bowel movements and went back to the hospital where he was operated on for the second time, in 2016,” Ngema recalled.
Abdomen
“At first it was in the abdomen, and the second time was in the chest area. Both incisions were left open and now when he eats or drinks, everything is deposited through the two openings.”
She said after the second operation he was sent home with his intestines exposed. They were worried about infections because they were not given sufficient wound dressings and cleaning material or information on how to handle the patient.
“I had to use my wages to put food on the table and buy swabs, cotton wool and other basic wound cleaning material,” she said.
Since then, Mbongwa has been in and out of RK Khan Hospital. He was readmitted last month.
“This time nurses were not interested in cleaning him. One day at around noon I visited him. The security would not let me in and I forced my way through and I found his bed curtains drawn. I found him struggling to wipe himself clean with swabs that were passed to him by a nurse. So instead of getting help as a patient, he was actually made to clean himself,” Ngema said.
In video footage seen by the Daily News, Mbongwa is seen with a gaping hole in the stomach area. Faeces and fluids were visibly flowing in the stomach area.
Ngema believes Mbongwa’s intestine had been severed and the hospital was unable to seal the hole. On Monday, she had requested he be transferred to Ladysmith, where Mbongwa is from.
Procedures
Dr Imran Keeka, the DA spokesperson for Health, said there were cases of faecal fistula that presented themselves in some procedures because of negligence or because of the disease the patient had.
“Depending on the size of the fistula, it can close relatively quickly or require another surgical procedure. In this case, while I’m happy to follow this up, it would be fair to establish if this was negligence or not. Seepage from the wound should be maintained to ensure that it doesn’t cause infection to the surrounding skin areas,” Keeka said.
Ncamisile Nkwanyana, IFP provincial spokesperson on Health, said when she questioned a doctor about Mbongwa last week, she was told his incisions were left open because of complications.
Responding to the complaint, Ncumisa Mafunda, the Department of Health spokesperson, said: “Without referring to any case in particular, generally speaking, sometimes upon observation of critical health risks, medical practitioners do make an informed decision not to operate on a patient as this might endanger their life.
“The department is always concerned when attempts are made to simplify and discuss in the public space confidential clinical patient information which is protected by law.”
She confirmed that “a particular patient” at a health care facility was receiving continuous care from various professionals, including a specialist physician.
“The medical and nursing staff have kept the family updated on a constant basis regarding the condition of the patient, as well as how to manage certain aspects of the patient’s condition when out of the facility.
“Furthermore, medical consultants have requested a meeting with the family, to explain the circumstances of the patient, as well as intricacies involved,” she said.
Ngema denied a meeting was requested with the family and said it was never explained how to handle Mbongwa when he was discharged.
Daily News