THE mother of a 16-year-old initiate who was rushed to hospital after a botched circumcision earlier this year claims her son is now dying at home.
The teenager’s mother, Nophakamile Mdleleni, from Tsolo’s Goqwana village, says her son was discharged from hospital last month despite being in pain and unable to walk.
Mdleleni said her son, Elvis, has been begging her to return him to hospital, but claims she has been told there is nothing more that can be done for him at this stage.
“It’s agony to hear him crying at night. He begs me to ask the nurses to take him back. He is now waiting to be given a date for his penis to be cut off, it’s sad. I need help,” she said.
Mdleleni, a mother of six, is the breadwinner at home as her husband is not working. When the Daily Dispatch visited her last week she said her life had taken a terrible turn.
“We are an impoverished family, as I am the only one working. When this happened to my son I was scared,” she said, adding that when she heard his friend had died as a result of his circumcision, she was grateful her son had survived, not thinking for a moment he would die before her eyes at home.
Health spokesman, Sizwe Kupelo yesterday told the Dispatch that Mdleleni should be rushed to hospital.
“If a patient is sick he should be rushed to hospital urgently,” he said.
In June this year Elvis attended an initiation school in Tsolo, together with a number of his friends. While at the school, they were allegedly assaulted by people accusing their parents of witchcraft.
One of the boys, Momelezi Botya allegedly died from the beating and Elvis was rushed to Tsolo hospital. He was later transferred to Mthatha’s Nelson Mandela Academic hospital, where he was released early last month.
A few days after arriving home, Elvis was unable to urinate without help and an ambulance was called. He was rushed back to hospital and fitted with a catheter before allegedly being released an hour later.
Trying to talk about his ordeal, while resting in a makeshift bed, Elvis said he had expected to be admitted.
“A hole was opened in my stomach, yet I was forced to go home. I am also waiting for an operation later this month where they will cut off my penis. I just can’t cope with this. I am dying with pain and getting weaker every day. All I want is to get professional medical help but my parents don’t have money,” he said. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
Young initiate ‘dying at home’
The teenager’s mother, Nophakamile Mdleleni, from Tsolo’s Goqwana village, says her son was discharged from hospital last month despite being in pain and unable to walk.
Mdleleni said her son, Elvis, has been begging her to return him to hospital, but claims she has been told there is nothing more that can be done for him at this stage.
“It’s agony to hear him crying at night. He begs me to ask the nurses to take him back. He is now waiting to be given a date for his penis to be cut off, it’s sad. I need help,” she said.
Mdleleni, a mother of six, is the breadwinner at home as her husband is not working. When the Daily Dispatch visited her last week she said her life had taken a terrible turn.
“We are an impoverished family, as I am the only one working. When this happened to my son I was scared,” she said, adding that when she heard his friend had died as a result of his circumcision, she was grateful her son had survived, not thinking for a moment he would die before her eyes at home.
Health spokesman, Sizwe Kupelo yesterday told the Dispatch that Mdleleni should be rushed to hospital.
“If a patient is sick he should be rushed to hospital urgently,” he said.
In June this year Elvis attended an initiation school in Tsolo, together with a number of his friends. While at the school, they were allegedly assaulted by people accusing their parents of witchcraft.
One of the boys, Momelezi Botya allegedly died from the beating and Elvis was rushed to Tsolo hospital. He was later transferred to Mthatha’s Nelson Mandela Academic hospital, where he was released early last month.
A few days after arriving home, Elvis was unable to urinate without help and an ambulance was called. He was rushed back to hospital and fitted with a catheter before allegedly being released an hour later.
Trying to talk about his ordeal, while resting in a makeshift bed, Elvis said he had expected to be admitted.
“A hole was opened in my stomach, yet I was forced to go home. I am also waiting for an operation later this month where they will cut off my penis. I just can’t cope with this. I am dying with pain and getting weaker every day. All I want is to get professional medical help but my parents don’t have money,” he said. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za
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