Picture: A woman, Tshwaro Reetseng suffered severe injuries after being handcuffed
By OBAKENG MAJE
A woman from Manthe village, near Taung, said she had lost hope of regaining the use of her paralysed hand. On 18 October 2023, Tshwaro Reetseng (25) allegedly experienced complications and was rushed to a local clinic for medical attention.
Reetseng said she received an injection at Manthe clinic and she was transferred to the Taung District Hospital for further medical treatment. She said she was admitted upon her arrival at the hospital.
“I will say I was sedated because I cannot recall what happened after the injection I received. I woke up on 23 October 2023 and it was strange because my right hand and leg were tied to the bed with handcuffs.
“A security guard came to me and removed the handcuffs. I was so hungry and my right hand was severely injured on the wrist. I tried to use it to eat, but it was numb. So, I requested assistance from the patient who was sleeping in the bed next to me,” she said.
Reetseng further said she allegedly asked the nurses what had happened to her hand, but no one said anything. She added that the only thing they did was to tell her to apply butter (Sunshine) on my swollen hand.
“Even my leg was injured and it was bandaged. I was discharged on 3 November 2023 and then returned to the hospital on 8 November 2023. I was transferred to Joe Morolong Memorial Hospital on 9 November 2023.
“Life is difficult because I used to do odd jobs for survival. Now, I am paralysed and I cannot fend for myself anymore. When the doctors arranged physiotherapists for me, I was optimistic that I would regain the use of my hand. However, nothing happened,” said Reetseng.
One of Tshwaro’s family members, who refused to be named for reprisal, shared the same sentiments. She said the hospital should be held responsible for what happened to Tshwaro.
“They nearly cut off her hand and now she is entirely dependable. We know that she would do some odd jobs to take care of her child and siblings, but not anymore due to a paralysed hand,” she said.
Meanwhile, the North West Department of Health spokesperson, Tebogo Lekgethwane said: “The department can confirm that it has followed up this case with the hospital and indeed, the patient in question was admitted at Taung District Hospital. The patient was restrained and this is normally done to protect the safety of the patient.
“It is expected that nurses would normally work as a team when restraining a patient so that no one gets injured in the process. Restraints are not used until every other alternative to patient safety is exhausted.”
Lekgethwane said some protocols need to be followed when a patient is in restraints. He said the matter will require investigation to determine whether all protocols were followed and why the patient was injured.
“Patient can be tied down for restraint not only when they are violent but also even when it is determined that they could injure themselves by their movements. The department will investigate this matter and take action should there be any form of negligence discovered.
“It is expected that the health professionals who administered the patient would have maintained constant communication with the patient. However, this will also be part of the investigation,” said Lekgethwane.
The Guardian 