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IN AGONY: Kidney cancer patient Thato Mofokeng says his bones ache so much it is difficult to lie on his back. PHOTO MOHAU MOFOKENG

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A PATIENT with kidney cancer was allegedly turned away at Helen Joseph Hospital in Johannesburg by a doctor who told him to buy his own treatment worth R50.000 before he could be operated on.

Unemployed Thato Mofokeng, 22, of Tsepisong near Roodepoort, on the West Rand, said the doctor told him that the hospital did not have the treatment required for his condition.

Mofokeng was diagnosed with kidney cancer in May and has been in and out of public health facilities since then.

"The doctor simply told me that I have to buy my own treatment, from a private hospital, before they could operate on me," Mofokeng said.

He said out of anger, he asked for his medical records .

When Sowetan visited him at his home this week, Mofokeng was lying topless on a thin mattress on the floor, in pain, as he cannot walk, or get onto his bed.

"I'm in pain," Mofokeng said. "Sometimes, my bones ache so bad that it becomes difficult to even lie on my back, or even sleep sideways. When that happens, I sleep on my knees and balance my upper body on my mother's back."

A doctor's letter to Mofokeng reads in part: "... No smart drugs or immunotherapy available in government hospitals. If he can organise to get chemotherapy from private (clinics or hospitals), then we can offer help..."

Top Johannesburg oncologist Dr Malik Gulzar said kidney cancer was a rare and expensive disease to treat.

"It's not curable," Gulzar said. "Smart drugs cost up to R26,000 for a month's treatment. A patient can be on that treatment for months, or even years, depending on whether the body responds to it."

About the medication, Gulzar said: "Government hospitals do not offer it to patients because it does not have guarantees. It just gives comfort to patients. But they (doctors) can still treat him differently, using alternatives."

Gauteng health department spokesman Simon Zwane asked Mofokeng to return to the hospital with his medical records and meet the institution's CEO (Gladys Bogoshi) in order to resolve the matter.

"It's not the policy of the hospital to refer a patient to a private institution for medical care," Zwane said.

"In cases for which a hospital does not provide the service required by a patient, arrangements are made with another public health facility to assist the patient."

Health Professions Council of SA CEO Dr Biyiswa Mjamba-Matshoba said although patients were allowed access to their medical records, removing them from the hospital's property constituted theft.

Meanwhile, Bogoshi said they did not allow patients to take their medical records home.

"We only give them copies and we keep the originals," said Bogoshi.

"We have a computer system in place but we need the hard copy because it has the patient's day-to-day reviews. He was not given permission to take the file and it's very rare that something like this happens."

- This article was first published in the printed newspaper on 16 August 2012

Comments

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Sun May 19 05:21:51 SAST 2013 ::

Aug 17, 2012

BlackSeed

Do not fear Death Thato mfethu; nobody knows the truth yet we fear death. At least we know that being alive on this Earth Farm is not pleasant for some.

I wish you can find some Doctor to administer your illness and reduce your pain.
Good luck

Poverty is a curse by Humankind

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Aug 17, 2012

MommaC

"It's not the policy of the hospital to refer a patient to a private institution for medical care,"

..... except if you are a politically connected convict ?
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Aug 17, 2012

2nevvy4u

Health Professions Council of SA CEO Dr Biyiswa Mjamba-Matshoba said although patients were allowed access to their medical records, removing them from the hospital's property constituted theft
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all you care of are fukcen papers?what about the guys condition,fukc you and fukc the person who employed you.
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Aug 17, 2012

2nevvy4u

you know in this country the poor are working hard,earning shiit and treated like dirty water,nxa one day is one daythings are busy turning who would have thought Jackie Selebi would be terminal ill?the mighty will fall one by one.
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Aug 17, 2012

Papage

How yanong ge o ponokile bjalo ka mo dikobong ke eng, get out of those blankets and beat the illness, don't allow yourself to be beaten. get out of bed, it will never heall you.
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Aug 17, 2012

MsKinkyakaKamaSutra

doctor told him that the hospital did not have the treatment required for his condition.
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It is not only this kind of medication they dont have.............

are hospital have a "chronic" shortage of medication (even the basic paink!llers) but funny there is money to splurge on BMW, Prado, McDonald paintings (imagine a burger joint selling art), fancy drappings for their (our) houses, the list is endless.

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Aug 17, 2012

NeoBaBe

Shame man, I hp u find one decent dr wholl assist u especially with that pain!
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Aug 17, 2012

RobinH

There is something amiss with this story. Very rarely will doctors at state institutions concern themselves with admin and billing. This is dealt with before the patient sees the doctor. Somebody is decieving somebody.
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Aug 17, 2012

Lehido

Im sadaned....Like really, such a young man......

Just thinking of him sleeping on his knees balancing his head of his mother's back drew me to tears....

God be with you man....

I just wish I could take the "Smart drugs" and shove them up the Doctor's "Smart ass"...

I challenge all the "highly paid ministers and Zuma himself and the rich of this country to donate R5 000 each to help this young man with whatevr treatment he requires!
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Aug 17, 2012

beautiful4

get well boy!!, God is watching u and he will answer your wishes!!
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