Shortage of beds delays woman's surgery

A 74-year-old woman who fell in October and broke her elbow has not had surgery to fix the problem as there has not been a bed available for months so she can be admitted.

Thema Leta Magashe of Elukwatini in Mpumalanga says she lives in constant pain because though she was told metal pins need to be inserted in her arm but that has not been done due to the unavailability of a bed.

All she wants now is for doctors to repair her elbow and relieve her of the pain, she said. 

Magashe fell and broke her arm while home on October 5 last year. She was rushed to Embhuleni Hospital. She said she was assessed overnight, and an X-ray was done which showed that her arm was broken.

She said they put a cast on her then sent her home and told to return in a month.

When she returned, she said, the hospital recast her arm and sent her home, telling her to return in December.

When her elbow had still not healed, they decided to put metal pins, however, there were no beds available. The hospital then referred her to Rob Ferreira Tertiary Hospital as they did not have beds available at Embhuleni for her to have surgery.

“When I went to Rob Ferreira, the three doctors that I saw confirmed on my three visits that my bone is broken, and I need to do a metal implant.

“However, they said they could not do my surgery because they also have a shortage of beds and they sent me home three times. They gave me pain tablets to treat my broken elbow,” she said.  

Eight months later Magashe had not received proper treatment for her broken elbow bone besides pain tables. She last visited Rob Ferreira on June 12 and was given pain killers with a note to return on September 18.  

Sowetan saw her clinic cards with the return dates.

According to her son Johannes, 42, his mother used to do things on her own, she would keep herself busy cleaning the house and cooking but ever since the incident she has not been herself.  

“My mother is a person who enjoys being busy, she cannot sit the whole day doing nothing but after she broke her elbow life has not been the same. She cries that her arm is painful, and she gets bored, she does not cook or clean anymore,” Johannes said.

Sowetan reached out to Mpumalanga department of health over Magashe’s situation and why it is taking so long for her to get assistance.

Spokesperson Dumisani Malamule confirmed that Embhuleni had transferred Magashe to Rob Ferreira Tertiary Hospital for further assessment i. He said the hospital also indicated that she would have to return and be seen by a specialist.

“The department can confirm that the patient will be seen by a specialist on Monday July 1 at Rob Ferreira Tertiary Hospital,” said Malamule.

Magashe had been given a September return date but after Sowetan intervened, she was then told to be at the hospital on July 1.

Asked whether Magashe would be operated on that day, Malamule said it’s for assessment because it may be discovered that she has recovered.

However, Magashe confirmed to Sowetan that she had not yet healed and can’t still use her arm.