MEC liable for man’s loss of arm

CABINET MAKER SUES FOR R8M Needed amputation of dominant limb after receiving poor treatment.

The Mpumalanga health MEC has admitted liability for the damages suffered by a North West cabinet maker who lost his right arm because of shoddy treatment at the Tshepong Hospital.

In terms of a settlement confirmed in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria, the MEC agreed to compensate Jan Geldenhuys, 38, of Stilfontein for the trauma of losing his dominant arm.

Geldenhuys instituted a claim of R8.3 million, but the actual amount he must receive will only be determined at a later stage.

Geldenhuys, an experienced cabinet maker and father of four young children, was rushed to Tshepong Hospital after he slipped and fell, sustaining severe lacerations to his right arm.

He underwent surgery to repair arteries in the arm and his arm was put in a cast. Nurses assured him that nothing was wrong when he started complaining of extreme pain and that his arm was swollen and discoloured.

He was taken to Baragwanath Hospital three days later, where his arm was immediately amputated.

He was told that the arteries had been incorrectly repaired, that improper surgery had been performed at Tshepong Hospital and that his arm could have been saved if he had received proper initial treatment.

According to expert reports, an angiogram of his arm was only performed three days after the initial operation, by which time it was far too late to restore the blood supply to his arm. The initial repair of the artery had been incorrect and he was not properly monitored after the operation.

Geldenhuys used to love his job as a cabinet maker, which involved hard physical work, but had to accept a post as a supervisor after the amputation.

He played social rugby and was an avid darts player who took part in the South African championships before the accident, but stopped playing rugby altogether, although he started playing darts with his left hand.

He still experienced severe pain in his stump and phantom pain in his arm, faced further operations to his stump.

The MEC initially denied any liability, saying they had saved his life and had no obligation to heal him.