Mapisa-Nqakula lawsuit exposes military hospital's failure to care for one of its own
A lawsuit against Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula has exposed one of the country's military hospitals for failing to care for one of its own. Cape Town High Court judge Rosheni Allie found that the Department of Defence acted negligently in treating aircraft mechanic Peter Daniels when he had a perforated bowel.Daniels was fobbed off for three months by 2 Military Hospital in Cape Town, and eventually had to have emergency surgery at a civilian hospital.Daniels, 31, won his claim for negligence. Damages for medical expenses will be decided later.Allie said in her judgment that Daniels was airlifted to 1 Military Hospital in Pretoria in May 2011 after experiencing severe stomach pain aboard a ship.He was discharged after five days, even though he was still in pain and vomiting, and admitted 10 days later to 2 Military Hospital, where a CT scan was performed. A doctor noted there was an "element of malingering" in Daniels's condition.A private practitioner was then requested to conduct a "small bowel study and follow-through" because the hospital's machines were not working.Allie said: "The negligence of the doctors treating the plaintiff was a series of omissions and failures which culminated in the necessary procedure not being performed at all."..
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