Man\'s leg amputated after complaining of stomach pain
A 43-year-old man, now seeking N$2 million in damages from the Ministry of Health and Social Services (MoHSS), recalls how a visit to Katima Mulilo State Hospital for severe abdominal pain unexpectedly led to the amputation of his right leg three days later at Windhoek\'s Lady Pohamba Private Hospital.
Four years ago, Collins Mulatehi was admitted to the state hospital for abdominal pain and informed that he would undergo surgery to have his appendix removed.
The case, heard in Windhoek High court yesterday, will proceed as a partly-heard matter and has been postponed to December 2-6, 2024, before Judge Collins Parker.
Mulatehi, represented by his lawyer, Profysen Muluti, testified that on November 20, 2022, a medical examination was conducted to assess his abdominal pain before surgery, which took place at 19h00 that night. \"After the surgery, I felt severe pain in my right lower leg. I noticed scratches on it, and it was swollen,\" he told the court.
According to Mulatehi, his requests for pain medication and assistance were allegedly addressed only the following morning. When the medical staff finally attended to him, he was informed that the pain in his lower right leg was due to an accident that occurred after his surgery - where he had allegedly woken up from anaesthesia in the recovery room, exhibiting aggressive behaviour, and had hit his leg on a metal object.
Mulatehi questioned, \"If this explanation were true, why did they fail to provide proper care after the incident?\"
The doctor from the state hospital informed him that he would be transferred from Katima Mulilo to Rundu Private Hospital, a five/six-hour drive, on November 22.
“Upon arrival at the hospital, Dr. Manoj Kamble recommended a radiology examination.”
His results revealed that a major blood vessel that supplies blood to in his right leg, was completely blocked, while another artery responsible for supplying blood to the lower leg, was not functioning normally. This simply relayed that there was a significant impairment in blood circulation in the right leg.
Bad news
On that very same day [November 22], Mulatehi was informed by Dr. Kamble that he would be transferred to Dr. Perry Eagles, a specialist in general and vascular surgery at Windhoek\'s Lady Pohamba Private Hospital. \"I was airlifted there and admitted on November 23, 2020, for expert management of the injury to my lower right leg,\" he recalls.
Upon evaluation, Dr Eagles informed me that my lower right leg was clinically dead due to a lack of blood flow. After several tests and consultations, it was determined that the best course of action was amputation.
\"Sadly, it was only in Windhoek that I discovered my artery had been injured during the surgery on December 20, and shockingly, my appendix had never been removed. This revelation about the care I received at both the private and state hospitals was deeply disturbing.\"
Following the loss of his leg, Mulatehi says he suffered a loss of income and mounting medical expenses. He now has to secure funds for a prosthetic leg, psychological and psychiatric treatment, as well as travel and accommodation costs between Windhoek and Katima Mulilo for medical purposes.
Expert witness
Dr Leony Fourie, a colorectal specialist from Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg, in short, testified in court that there was no clear proof that the surgical team damaged or tied off the iliac vessels. In fact, some evidence suggests otherwise—another doctor’s notes confirmed that a pulse was felt in the leg the day after the surgery.
Four years ago, Collins Mulatehi was admitted to the state hospital for abdominal pain and informed that he would undergo surgery to have his appendix removed.
The case, heard in Windhoek High court yesterday, will proceed as a partly-heard matter and has been postponed to December 2-6, 2024, before Judge Collins Parker.
Mulatehi, represented by his lawyer, Profysen Muluti, testified that on November 20, 2022, a medical examination was conducted to assess his abdominal pain before surgery, which took place at 19h00 that night. \"After the surgery, I felt severe pain in my right lower leg. I noticed scratches on it, and it was swollen,\" he told the court.
According to Mulatehi, his requests for pain medication and assistance were allegedly addressed only the following morning. When the medical staff finally attended to him, he was informed that the pain in his lower right leg was due to an accident that occurred after his surgery - where he had allegedly woken up from anaesthesia in the recovery room, exhibiting aggressive behaviour, and had hit his leg on a metal object.
Mulatehi questioned, \"If this explanation were true, why did they fail to provide proper care after the incident?\"
The doctor from the state hospital informed him that he would be transferred from Katima Mulilo to Rundu Private Hospital, a five/six-hour drive, on November 22.
“Upon arrival at the hospital, Dr. Manoj Kamble recommended a radiology examination.”
His results revealed that a major blood vessel that supplies blood to in his right leg, was completely blocked, while another artery responsible for supplying blood to the lower leg, was not functioning normally. This simply relayed that there was a significant impairment in blood circulation in the right leg.
Bad news
On that very same day [November 22], Mulatehi was informed by Dr. Kamble that he would be transferred to Dr. Perry Eagles, a specialist in general and vascular surgery at Windhoek\'s Lady Pohamba Private Hospital. \"I was airlifted there and admitted on November 23, 2020, for expert management of the injury to my lower right leg,\" he recalls.
Upon evaluation, Dr Eagles informed me that my lower right leg was clinically dead due to a lack of blood flow. After several tests and consultations, it was determined that the best course of action was amputation.
\"Sadly, it was only in Windhoek that I discovered my artery had been injured during the surgery on December 20, and shockingly, my appendix had never been removed. This revelation about the care I received at both the private and state hospitals was deeply disturbing.\"
Following the loss of his leg, Mulatehi says he suffered a loss of income and mounting medical expenses. He now has to secure funds for a prosthetic leg, psychological and psychiatric treatment, as well as travel and accommodation costs between Windhoek and Katima Mulilo for medical purposes.
Expert witness
Dr Leony Fourie, a colorectal specialist from Charlotte Maxeke Hospital in Johannesburg, in short, testified in court that there was no clear proof that the surgical team damaged or tied off the iliac vessels. In fact, some evidence suggests otherwise—another doctor’s notes confirmed that a pulse was felt in the leg the day after the surgery.
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