Once again, the sensationalist media is to blame for the wholly uncalled-for outcry over the tragic story of Thembisa Nikelo whose feet were amputated at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital after they became infected when she was brought into hospital with burns on her hands.
As a healthcare professional, I recognise that these sort of tragic events can occur. Bacteria don’t care who they infect or the results of those infections. This sort of thing happens more often than we ever hear about – be it in SA or the UK, where I worked as a microbiologist for 9 years – every case is different, but sometimes these events are unavoidable.
But the papers and the radio were quick to jump in with allegations of bad treatment and poor patient management:
Gauteng Health MEC Qedani Mahlangu… vowed to get to the bottom of the tragedy that crippled little Thembisa Nikelo for life after poor treatment at Far East Rand Hospital in Springs and Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital.
And John Robbie on Talk702 displayed a shocking lack of knowledge and research when he stated that doctors “should at least look before they operate”.
Fortunately now a voice of reason has come forward and made itself heard, explaining the situation:
The misrepresentation has been given that amputations were carried out on normal legs of a child who had burnt hands as a callous act of negligence. Individuals have shouted their loud mouths off who themselves have never taken responsibility for doing an invasive procedure on a child, spent early morning hours resuscitating an injured or dying child, or gone through the rigours required to train and qualify to make these decisions and take these responsibilities.
To have to perform a destructive procedure such as a limb amputation on a small child is, believe me, a devastating and emotionally highly distressing experience for a dedicated children’s doctor. Media reports failed to point out that the amputations were essential, unavoidable and life-saving for little Thembisa.
These are the words of Professor Peter Beale, Head of the Division of Paediatric Surgery at Wits University who has taken the step of making a statement on the incidents which led up to the surgery on Thembisa Nikelo, the reasons behind the difficult decision to amputate and also condemning those who – with few facts or knowledge of the case – have jumped to conclusions.
The media have indulged in a frenzy of misrepresentation of this case, and individuals from the lay public have written in, condemning the surgeons responsible for the amputations and maligning the medical profession.
“The doctor who performed the amputation should be immediately and permanently struck from the roll,” according to one “gentleman”. A talkshow host suggested that doctors should at least look before they operate – which is highly presumptuous. John Robbie, I suggest you confine your comments to rugby, which you at least know something about.
I applaud Professor Beale for making this statement, but it saddens me that he had to do this. What state is South Africa’s media in that they chase readers with incorrect and inflammatory rubbish rather than taking the time to investigate the story thoroughly and printing something accurate?
That the “respected” John Robbie has also fallen to this level is disappointing. His opinions are welcome when they are backed by fact, but he completely missed the mark on this one and should acknowledge this fact and apologise. I look forward to him being big enough to do that.
This is a story in which I have some professional interest and it was plainly obvious to me as to what had occurred – as I said, I have (sadly) seen this many times in both the UK and SA. However, there are a huge number of stories in the papers that I have no “insider” knowledge of. Are they all as inaccurate as this one?
Without those in the know being forced to spend their valuable time setting the record straight – and getting their voices heard – we may never know.
Professor Beale’s full statement is well worth a read.