A single mother from Kalksteenfontein has slammed Bishop Lavis Day Hospital, saying her son almost died after doctors left a broken pen stuck in his head.
The incident took place on September 19 and according to the 13-year-old Grade 7 pupil, he was stabbed in the head by a Grade 5 learner during first break.
The prefect at Montana Primary School explains: “I was walking on the stoep when this boy approached me and said ‘sien jy hoe kan ek jou kry’, but I didn’t know what he was talking about.
“He tripped me and took out a pen and stabbed me in the head.
“He walked away and I ran to the office with the pen stuck in my head, but I rukked it out.”
Mom Letitia Julies, 39, says the principal took her son to Bishop Lavis Day Hospital.
Julies says: “My cousin accompanied him to the trauma unit because I was still at work and she said they just cleaned the wound, applied dressing and gave him pain tablets and a certificate.
“Two weeks later, his head started swelling and I took him back to Bishop Lavis Day Hospital and told them the wound is not healing and it’s bothering him because he can’t sleep.
“The doctor told me the swelling will go down, I just need to apply ice and they gave me pain tablets again. I trusted them because they are doctors.”
Julies says the swelling on her son’s head and face became even worse and on October 26, she took him to Tygerberg Hospital.
Julies adds: “They admitted him immediately and put him on drips and did a head scan. That was when they saw something in his head and had to operate. I was told that had if I waited longer, my child could’ve died because it has been over a month.
“I told them Bishop Lavis said they don’t do kop scans, but Tygerberg said they should’ve referred me.”
A big chunk of the pen was still stuck inside the learner’s head, including the nib.
Julies says she went to see the management of Bishop Lavis Day Hospital, and was told the second doctor who treated her son doesn’t even work there.
Communications officer for the Department of Health and Wellness, Shimoney Regter, confirmed the boy was treated but didn’t respond to queries about the second doctor.
Regter says: “We value the feedback and have been in contact with [the mother] to discuss her concerns and areas where our care can be improved. We apologise for the family’s negative experience at our facility.”
Following a Daily Voice query, Millicent Merton from the WC Education Department confirmed the principal met with the parents of both learners and a disciplinary process is underway.