The tragic story of 20-year-old Sinentlahla Shinga from Bizana in the Eastern Cape, who died last month after being wrongly treated for tuberculosis (TB) instead of cancer, has reopened deep wounds for many South Africans who have faced similar medical misfortunes.
Since the recent publication of her story, (Eastern Cape family devastated after young woman wrongly treated for TB instead of cancer), dozens of people have come forward to share their harrowing experiences of misdiagnosis and delayed treatment in the public health system.
For many, Shinga’s death has become a painful symbol of a system stretched thin, one where diagnostic error can mean the difference between life and death.
“I was also misdiagnosed with TB last January, only to find out I was on stage 2 of non-Hodgkin lymphoma cancer. By the grace of God, I am healed and about to celebrate 10 months of being cancer-free,” wrote TikTok user @AusiTiido.
‘We knew something was wrong’
For two years, Shinga was treated for TB at St Patrick’s Hospital in Bizana. Her family said as her condition worsened, her skin changing, her body weakening and her eventually becoming bedridden, they were repeatedly assured she was being treated for the right illness.
Desperate for answers, her family took her to a hospital in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, where tests revealed she did not have TB but lymphoma, a type of blood cancer. By then it had spread throughout her body.
Her story resonated with readers across social media. Many said they had also been treated for TB for months, and even years, before discovering they had cancer.
“It happened to my mother. She was diagnosed with TB but it was lung cancer. Unfortunately the TB medication caused more damage and she did not make it,” wrote Magatsheni Omuhle.
Social media user Candy wrote: “My dad was also misdiagnosed with TB back in 2019. Only later did we learn it was stage 4 lymphoma. He fought hard and is in remission.”
Common and costly mistake
Experts said misdiagnosis of TB and lymphoma remains a significant clinical challenge, particularly in rural and resource-limited areas.
Dr Darren Joseph, a pulmonologist, told TimesLIVE a proper TB diagnosis should always be confirmed through microscopy and culture techniques, such as nucleic acid amplification testing.
“A chest X-ray should be obtained in all cases to support the diagnosis,” he said.
“If a patient is not responding to treatment, this should raise red flags that an incorrect diagnosis may have been made.”
According to the Cancer Association of South Africa (Cansa), the overlap between TB and lymphoma symptoms, such as persistent cough, fever, night sweats, and weight loss, often leads to confusion.
“In TB-endemic areas, up to 85% of patients diagnosed with lymphoma were initially placed on presumptive TB treatment,” Cansa said.
Joseph said access to advanced diagnostic tools including CT imaging, bronchoscopy and surgical biopsies remains limited in many public hospitals.
“There’s a large unmet need for specialised testing and expertise, especially at the primary care level,” he said.
“Unfortunately cancers remain asymptomatic for some time, and by the time patients are referred it is often too late.”
System under strain
The public health system continues to grapple with resource shortages, staff constraints and overburdened facilities, particularly in rural provinces such as the Eastern Cape.
While TB remains one of the country’s leading infectious killers, experts warned an overemphasis on TB can sometimes lead to missed or delayed cancer diagnoses with devastating consequences.
Joseph said: “We are constantly trying to reduce inefficiencies in the referral system and optimise resources, but there remains a significant imbalance between the demand for care and what state facilities can provide.”
Shinga’s story, and others like it. has reignited calls for stronger health oversight, better training for frontline healthcare workers and improved diagnostic infrastructure in rural hospitals.
TimesLIVE
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