A young girl may lose sight in her left eye after being speared by a javelin on school grounds.
Mihle Manono, a Grade 7 pupil at Esethu Primary School in Indwe, was rushed to an East London hospital following the Tuesday accident.
Beja also lashed out at the teachers for failing to inform the family of the accident. Mihle’s younger sister was the one who informed their aunt.
“My aunt went to the hospital and when she got to the hospital, Mihle was by herself as the teachers just dropped her off and left. Then my aunt called her grandmother.”
Beja said the school only took action when her mother, who is based in Pretoria, called the district education head in Indwe.
“This is when the principal started to inform his teachers to follow up on the incident and went to check on her and informed my family in Indwe.
“My biggest issue is with the school. They are very unapologetic. They took no real concern. They left a 12-year-old at a hospital by herself. They only acted because the district head was called by my mother.”
The principal said the teachers went to the hospital but left to do other things while waiting for a doctor. They returned later, he said.
Mihle and her grandmother, Nomasheyi Manono, arrived at CMH after midnight on Tuesday and was allegedly not attended to until yesterday morning when an eye specialist was called.
Health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said it was procedure for patients to be treated according to the emergency and seriousness of their illness or injury. “If the person is not an emergency case, she will be attended to at an appropriate time,” Kupelo said.
Mihle’s grandmother was too emotional to speak to the Daily Dispatch yesterday.
“My heart is sore because my child will grow up without an eye,” Manono said.
Education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima apologised for the “unfortunate” incident.
“The truth is the kids took the javelin without the permission of the teacher that is responsible for the sport,” said Mtima. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
Girl may lose eye after accident
Mihle Manono, a Grade 7 pupil at Esethu Primary School in Indwe, was rushed to an East London hospital following the Tuesday accident.
Beja also lashed out at the teachers for failing to inform the family of the accident. Mihle’s younger sister was the one who informed their aunt.
“My aunt went to the hospital and when she got to the hospital, Mihle was by herself as the teachers just dropped her off and left. Then my aunt called her grandmother.”
Beja said the school only took action when her mother, who is based in Pretoria, called the district education head in Indwe.
“This is when the principal started to inform his teachers to follow up on the incident and went to check on her and informed my family in Indwe.
“My biggest issue is with the school. They are very unapologetic. They took no real concern. They left a 12-year-old at a hospital by herself. They only acted because the district head was called by my mother.”
The principal said the teachers went to the hospital but left to do other things while waiting for a doctor. They returned later, he said.
Mihle and her grandmother, Nomasheyi Manono, arrived at CMH after midnight on Tuesday and was allegedly not attended to until yesterday morning when an eye specialist was called.
Health spokesman Sizwe Kupelo said it was procedure for patients to be treated according to the emergency and seriousness of their illness or injury. “If the person is not an emergency case, she will be attended to at an appropriate time,” Kupelo said.
Mihle’s grandmother was too emotional to speak to the Daily Dispatch yesterday.
“My heart is sore because my child will grow up without an eye,” Manono said.
Education spokesman Malibongwe Mtima apologised for the “unfortunate” incident.
“The truth is the kids took the javelin without the permission of the teacher that is responsible for the sport,” said Mtima. — siphem@dispatch.co.za
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