FADING HOPE
Desperate woman feels neglected by health sector and minister Weeps after speaking to Minister Dikoloti Pleads for Masisi to intervene, tummy keeps bulging
An unwell Thuto Ratau (34) of Raserura ward in Mochudi says she has reached out to the Minister of Health, Edwin Dikoloti regarding her bulging tummy that makes her look like she is pregnant.
However, even the Minister himself is failing to assist her to get the much-needed medical attention.
Despite her repeated attempts, she is not getting the right kind of assistance at Princess Marina Hospital in Gaborone. She accuses doctors at the hospital of neglect yet she is in excruciating pain.
Ratau says she first reached out to the Minister via Facebook on the 14th October 2023 and the Minister responded, telling her that his schedule was tight but referred her to a certain doctor. “When I contacted the said doctor, he said I should listen to what doctors at Marina are saying, nothing came out of it,” Ratau told The Midweek Sun this week.
From the Facebook communication, it appears this past weekend, Ratau contacted the Minister again, informing him that she still has not been assisted. She told him that she is dying and shared pictures of herself and a story which was carried by this publication last month about her need for urgent help.
Dikoloti responded, saying she should listen to what doctors are saying and she told him that Marina has informed her that they do not have resources to assist her. “Dingaka are there to save your life. I hope they explained all to you,” Dikoloti said in the facebook conversation.“I broke into tears at his response, I cried so much my head even ached. I just do not understand why I am not getting assisted. There are people I know who had similar medical issues but have been assisted successfully. I wonder why I am so unlucky,” Ratau cried. She is now trying to reach the Office of the President, as her hopes for intervention are now pinned on President Mokgweetsi Masisi.
“If the president does not resolve this, I will be defeated, I even told the Minister that I will try to reach Mr President,” she said. When she spoke to The Midweek Sun last month, a stressed Ratau said sometime in March 2022, she went to a clinic in Mochudi after realising that she was pregnant.
At the clinic, she was told that she had fibroids that needed to be removed. She was referred to the hospital for further assessments and at six months pregnant, doctors advised that the fibroids will be removed during birth or after to prevent complications. However, that did not happen and the procedure was scheduled for September at Princess Marina Hospital.
“I went to Marina and the story changed again. They told me that because I have a nagging heart problem they suspect that the surgery will be risky if they go ahead because I might never wake up again.
“I am shocked by this because I gave birth through operation, why did they not fear that I will not wake up then? I am being sent from pillar to post, this tummy is painful.
“I also wonder if they mean that I will be stuck with this condition forever if they are now talking about me dying,” Thuto wondered. She said her tummy never went back to normal size after she gave birth. “If you look at me, you will think that I will soon give birth, I noticed how the tummy did not shrink after birth and when I asked nurses what was happening, they said the size will reduce with time.” Ratau chose to believe the health practitioners that her tummy size would reduce, but that has not happened and she is living a very painful life. She had to let go of her job because she was always in pain. She is now unemployed and life is unbearable. She struggles to sleep at night. She cannot lie on one side and then turn to the other with ease. So excruciating is the pain that when it strikes her tummy, she feels like rolling on the floor to ease it.
After her story was published by The Midweek Sun in September this year, Ratau found Good Samaritans who helped her financially to go to a private hospital.
“The doctor advised that I need an emergency operation and that the longer I take, the more damage I will suffer,” she said. Dikoloti did not respond to enquiries made regarding Ratau’s grievances.
Spokesperson at Marina Hospital, Keemenao Sampisi on Monday promised that he would get hold of Ratau, saying he did check with the Mochudi clinic and they are aware of her condition.