AFTER two years living with an infected foot following an ambulance accident, Maureen Ngobese has finally received the medical attention she needs.

Though Ngobese, of Benoni in Ekurhuleni, is happy, she still feels that the department of community safety should compensate her as she was injured in an ambulance and her life came to a standstill.

A heavily pregnant Ngobese, 34, was in labour while being rushed to hospital when the accident happened in December 2010.

She said: "As the ambulance was getting on the highway, it hit another car.

"There was a loud bang and one of the paramedics that was with me at the back ran out of the vehicle and left me alone inside. The driver then came out and pulled me out of the ambulance."

She was admitted to Far East Rand Hospital where, after three months, she was told to go home because they were no longer able to treat her.

She was referred to her local clinic, which did not have the capacity to treat her condition.

Her wound turned septic and she says it has maggots. She was even forced to leave her job.

After Sowetan ran her story, she was treated in hospital and will be operated on in October.

Leading to the operation, Ngobese's wound will be dressed at Tambo Memorial Hospital.

"I am happy and I appreciate the help I am getting for me to be healed. If it was not because of Sowetan my life would be worse. I was not born like this and now I have to suffer for me to be better," said Ngobese.

Now, she has been forced to quit her job because her left foot is crippled and has started to rot. She cannot stand on her feet for a long time or walk a long distance.

"When they told me there was nothing they could do anymore for me, I was hurt and confused," Ngobese said. - lerato@sowetan.co.za