| Dr Johan Pansegrouw
of KwaZulu - Natal |
Dr Johan Pansegrouw KwaZulu-Natal paid an
admission of Guilt fine of R10,000-00 on each
count.
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| Dr Atulkumar
Patel - Cardiothoracic Surgeon Netcare
Millpark Hospital |
A CARDIOTHORACIC surgeon and Netcare Milpark Hospital are facing a
R4.8 million damages claim from a Zambian businessman who went to
hospital for a coronary artery bypass procedure, and had his left
lower leg amputated after complications set in.
Shabir Ahmed Limbada is blaming Dr Atulkumar Patel and the staff at
Milpark Hospital for the loss of his lower leg. Both the specialist
and the hospital are denying any wrong-doing.
They said they treated Limbada with care and skill.
Limbada, 59, who lives in Lusaka, said he suffered from chest pains
during 2009 and he was referred by doctors in Zambia to South
Africa.
Patel suggested surgery, and Limbada was admitted to Milpark
Hospital on May 22, 2009 for a heart bypass.
The bypass was done and the specialist inserted an aortic balloon
pump into his groin area, which is connected to a monitor, to assist
with his blood circulation.
Limbada was meanwhile admitted to the intensive care unit.
He said the specialist did not give the nursing staff proper
instructions and that he was not proactive in giving him the
necessary care at the time when he complained about severe pain in
his leg. He said things became worse when the balloon pump was
removed.
Limbada’s advocate, WP de Waal SC, told the court yesterday that the
family would testify that they alerted a nurse about his pain and
“she was quite dismissive”, and that Patel was at the Wanderers
watching the final of the IPL cricket tournament.
It appeared that the other doctor, who Patel said he was going to
ask to look in on Limbada, didn’t turn up.
The brother-in-law phoned Patel again later that night when they
noticed the patient’s condition worsening.
Patel, however, assured him that all was in order. The doctor said
he had spoken to the nurses, who had told him everything was fine,
and he told the family not to worry.
When Limbada’s pain became even worse, he was eventually given
morphine.
Patel visited his patient the next morning and diagnosed compartment
syndrome, and subsequently had the leg amputated. The nurse who
spoke to the specialist that night was expected to testify that he
had told her to monitor the leg during the night, which she and the
night staff did.
De Waal said Patel was the “captain of the ship” and he should have
reacted when the family phoned him about Limbada being in pain. He
added this did not exonerate the staff, as they could clearly see
the foot was swollen and that it felt cold to the touch.
Pain, he said, was also a clear indication of compartmental
syndrome.
Patel, in court papers, said Limbada was stable after the balloon
was removed. He admitted that while in ICU the patient developed
compromised circulation of the leg and compartment syndrome, which
resulted in the amputation. He denied the complications were due to
any negligence on his part.
The trial continues.
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| Dr Atulkumar
Patel - Cardiothoracic Surgeon Netcare
Millpark Hospital |
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