Dalphine Tagwireyi
Evans Mthombeni was admitted to Kwamhlanga Hospital after he was severely beaten with a metal bar at his high school.
Despite recognising that the 17-year-old had suffered severe internal injuries, the hospital discharged him, allegedly due to an excess of Covid-19 cases. Mthombeni died nine days later.
On 4 August, a fight broke out between Mthombeni and another learner at Entokozweni High School in Kwaggafontein over a scientific calculator.
Speaking to Scrolla.Africa, Mthombeni’s distraught father, Sabelo Mkhwananzi, said his son had been bullied.
“I received a call around 4pm on that day to say my son had been assaulted and was injured. He had been struck with a metal bar several times all over his body,” he said.
Later that day, Mthombeni was admitted to Kwamhlanga hospital where he was treated briefly before being discharged.
“When the doctor attended to him, he said he had dislocated his shoulder and he had suffered internal injuries and – due to Covid-19 cases – they requested that we take him home,” he said.
The doctor told Mthombeni to return for an appointment on 23 August but the grade ten learner succumbed to injuries sustained from the fight at home on 13 August.
Mkhwanazi said his son had a dislocated shoulder and a scan showed he also suffered internal abdominal injuries.
“He had his on and off days during the time he was at home, but the period leading to his death, he complained of persistent headaches and abdominal pain, as well as complaining of pain all over his body,” he said.
Mkhwanazi said losing a child was similar to seeing your heart being ripped out of your body, and he believes the hospital could have prevented his son’s death.
“I partly blame the hospital for my son’s death. The clinic referred us to the hospital meaning they could see his injuries were severe, as he was bleeding,” he said.
The Mpumalanga Department of Health spokesperson Dumisani Malamule confirmed Mthobeni’s case, but said: “Evans was sent home after observing that his blood pressure was normal, and his heart rate had subsided and the bleeding had stopped and was advised to come back on 23 August.”
Mpumalanga SAPS spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli confirmed that an investigation into Mthobeni’s death is being undertaken by Kwaggafontein police.
