Durban – The KwaZulu-Natal health department has been ordered to pay R2.2m within 14 days for a botched circumcision operation, The Mercury reported on Thursday.

According to the paper, the mother of a 9-year-old boy sued the department after her son was circumcised at a Vryheid hospital in October 2009.

The boy suffered severe burning, infections, and loss of his normal penile tissue after the procedure.

“The words lazy, incompetent, and disinterested accurately describe the treating doctor’s actions,” The Mercury quoted a report before the court by plastic and reconstructive surgeon Paul McGarr.

“In essence, nine minutes of a rushed, incompetent circumcision has significantly and severely impacted on the child for the rest of his life,” McGarr said.

KwaZulu-Natal Deputy Judge President Achmat Jappie also ordered the department to pay the family’s legal costs.

SAPA