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Ongoing bleeding and repeated failed efforts to stitch her up have left a young Limpopo woman battling to recover from childbirth, as the Health Department promises to step in and help.
Something went wrong
While the 23-year-old woman claims she has been the victim of some horrifying medical mistakes over the past four months, nurses have accused her of mishandling her wounds. Health officials are now offering to step in.
Mukhethwa Nemakhavhani gave birth to her son at Memorial Hospital in Louis Trichard, Limpopo in July. During the birth she tore badly, and doctors stitched her. She believes something went wrong, as the stitches fell out after only two days.
Read: Mom loses baby in Joburg hospital after three days of hell
Nemakhavhani went back to the hospital to be stitched again, and claims that things went wrong again as it felt as though her vagina and anus had been stitched together, making it difficult and painful for her to urinate.
“I regret ever giving birth at that hospital as they have ruined my entire life. Now I might not be able to have another child again, not to mention having sex with my husband. I am in pain all the time, and no one wants to take responsibility for what they have done to me,” she said.
Still bleeding
Since July Nemakhavhani has been restitched four times, and on each occasion the stitches came loose after a few days. When she reported this to doctors and nurses, she was accused of being careless in her treatment of the stitched area. Louis Trichard’s Memorial Hospital is a public hospital operated by the Limpopo Department of Health.
“I have been bleeding since July, and now when I go to the hospital they tell me that they cannot operate on me because I am still bleeding. I have to wait for the bleeding to totally stop before they can operate on me and it has been months now,” she said.
Read: Mpumalanga woman forced to give birth in hospital toilet
Nemakhavhani added she is now in danger of losing her job as she had been unable to work since giving birth, as she has been in constant pain.
“I just wish that someone can help me with this problem. All I want is to have my life back to normal,” she said.
Investigating the matter
Nemakhavhani has been asked to return to the hospital once again in a week to see if anything can be done to help her.
Contacted for comment on Nemakhavhani’s situation, spokesperson for the MEC of Health in the province, Thabiso Teffo, said the department would investigate the matter as soon as possible.
“Kindly forward us her contacts details and we will take it from there,” said Teffo, undertaking to ensure that Nemakhavhani receives help. – Health-e News.
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