THE DISPATCH (East London, S Africa) 18 August 06 Snake-bite child dies at CMH (Modise Kabeli)
Grandparents of a toddler who died at Cecilia Makiwane Hospital earlier this week claim that the child was not given the urgent attention she needed.
Jeannette Lukwana’s granddaughter, Masilakhe Ntutu, was rushed to the hospital after she was bitten by a snake while playing outside her Mdantsane NU9 home on Monday afternoon.
When Lukwana first heard the child and her neighbour screaming about a snake she “thought it had just scared them” and she threw stones at it trying to kill it. When she realised that Ntutu had been bitten, Lukwana and a neighbour rushed to CMH for help.
Lukwana said on their arrival at the hospital she was told to open a folder for the child. When she went back to casualty the child was still unattended, and then staff asked her to bring the snake that had bitten the child.
“I told them we left the snake at home and I asked them to show me pictures of snakes so that I can show them what the snake looked like but there were no pictures.”
They were then told to wait for a doctor, she said. By this time the bite mark had grown into a very big lump.
“A sister who walked into the casualty was the only one who assisted.”
This nurse asked that the child be given panado through a syringe. “By this time she (Masilakhe) was talking and crying, she was then put on a drip.”
The nurse then took her back home to fetch the snake but on their return and identification of the snake they were told its venom’s antidote was not available at the hospital.
East London Hospital Complex spokesperson Toni van Niekerk said yesterday: “I am unfortunately at this stage not in a position to give you a conclusive answer until more information is available.”
Snake-bite child dies at CMH