A complaint that a woman with elephantiasis was refused treatment at a Port Elizabeth hospital was baseless, the Eastern Cape health department said on Wednesday.
"The thick medical file clearly indicates in the history that she's been taken care of throughout," said spokesman Sizwe Kupelo.
Pamela Maxhanti, 37, claimed she was turned away from the Livingstone specialist hospital last week without treatment for elephantiasis-related open wounds and severe pain and swelling.
Kupelo said Maxhanti was admitted to Livingstone on January 8 and was started on treatment the following day.
On her discharge on January 24, she was given a follow-up appointment to see a doctor at the Port Elizabeth provincial hospital on February 13.
However, Kupelo said she missed the appointment and because she could not be seen, she was re-directed back to the Livingstone hospital.
"In Livingstone, she was given treatment – contrary to claims that she was never given treatment."
He said the woman was given numerous chronic medicines for pain, inflammation and open wounds and was told that she could go to her nearest clinic for treatment.
"These items are confirmed in her folder that they were signed for by a pharmacist. Everything has been done for this patient and the medical opinion is that her condition cannot be cured, but can only be managed."
Elephantiasis is a disease that affects the skin and tissue and is caused by parasitic worms.
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