Covid-19 result causes confusion
A Grade 12 learner at Percy Mdala High School has seemingly found herself on the receiving end of bureaucratic bungling when she was fingered as Covid-19 positive by a Department of Health official on 29 June after she had in fact tested negative. The incident has placed fresh focus on the question of Covid-19 stigmatising and ethics after the girl announced that she is “not ready to return to school” after the incident.
The child’s mother, Bukelwa Phaphu, said her daughter, whose name she did not want published, was tested on 25 June after a learner in her class had tested positive. The classmates were told to stay at home from 24 June until 3 July.
On 29 June, they received the test results, which showed her child was negative.
According to Phaphu, health official Nolitha Mabohlo called later that day requesting access to the child. “On arrival, I asked her to get inside the house so that we could talk, but she declined and said my child tested positive for Covid-19. She said this in front of members of the community who came to listen after seeing the Department of Health’s vehicle,” said an irate Phaphu.
The mother said she told Mabohlo about the negative result. “She replied that a message can be sent saying you are negative while the results are positive. After the argument she said we would talk over the phone and I was angry.” Phaphu said she also tried to get answers from the official on WhatsApp. “She finally responded saying she was sorry, that my child had tested negative. I can’t forgive her because she humiliated my child in front of the people in Green
Field informal settlement. Someone needs to answer for what she has done,” she said.
Phaphu said her child has locked herself in their house fearing being in contact with other people. “People are calling us names and even my family does not want to visit me anymore since the incident. My child does not want to go to school fearing that she will be called names by other children. This has affected her emotionally,” she said.
Speaking with KnysnaPlett Herald, the child said, “I showed them the message [of the negative result] but people will not believe you because the official came and said I am positive. I can’t go to school now, I am not ready.”
When Mabohlo was asked how the mistake happened, she explained that there is a team that separates positive results from negative.
“They send SMSes to those negative and we are given the forms to go and inform those positive and do counselling. On that day, they sent an SMS to the child and gave me the form to go and inform the child,” she said.
The official added that after she noticed the mistake, she apologised to Phaphu and also informed her superiors about the incident. She said she had to block Phaphu on WhatsApp as she was harassing her.
According to her, there was no crowd when she visited the girl’s house. “It is normal for people to be interested when they see the department’s car because they know that we are bringing results. In this case, it was still early in the morning and there was no crowd,” she said.
Department of Health spokesperson Nadia Ferreira said management is aware of this regrettable incident. “We take patient confidentiality, as well as the manner that information is shared, very seriously, and these allegations will receive our full attention. We have arranged to meet with Phaphu to see how we can assist them in terms of counselling and further support,” Ferreira said.