Our horror experience at govt hospitals – snakebite survivors
SIDVOKODVO – Snakebite survivors have shared their horror experienced at gov ernment health facilities when seeking treatment. The survivors praised The Luke Com mission (TLC) for the professional and friendly treatment they received while under their care. They, however, did not share the same sentiments pertaining to public health facilities. One of the survivors, Nomsa Ndwandwa, alleged that when she arrived at Dvokolwako Health Centre; she was allegedly welcomed by a rude nurse, who asked how sure she was that she was bitten by a snake. She said at the time she was already weak and vomiting continuously, but was made to wait at the back of the line by the nurse.
³:hen I arrived at the hospital I was already weak, but when I informed the nurse that I needed urgent attention, she ignored me and rudely asked how sure I was that I was bitten by a snake,” she alleged.
CONDITIONS
She said she was assisted by a doctor who no ticed her condition was getting worse and told her to skip the queue so she could get urgent attention.
$nother survivor, Neliswa Mondlane also alleged that he faced difficulty when he was taken to Good Shepherd Hospital, after he was bitten by a Mo]ambican spitting cobra. He said his journey to recovery was filled with obstacles. Mondlane said when he got to the facility; it was already too late, as he had already begun showing the symptoms such as vomiting and weakness. He said the facility did not have enough antivenom and when he was advised to go to TLC, he was allegedly informed by his doctor that they did not know the facility and they had no relationship with them. ³They were reluctant to release me to the extent that they told me to go with one of the nurs es from the hospital to TLC,” he said. Mondlane added that had he been allowed to be transferred to TLC sooner, his road to recovery may not have taken the six painful months as it did. to stop snakes from coming to their homes, what to do to prevent getting bitten and what to do if one was bitten. She said everyone was capable of saving lives and limbs by going back to their communities and capacitate people on the right and wrong thing to do.