– Patient ‘Looks Like Someone Already Dead’ – Guardian By Surihe Gaomas WINDHOEK A gaping stomach wound and severe pain is the ordeal of a 23-year-old woman Iuze Minyoi from Katima Mulilo after an operation allegedly performed by a Cuban doctor more than two months ago. Bringing this agonising story to the attention of New Era yesterday, concerned guardians Martin and Ester Minyoi said that her condition is so bad that “she looks like someone who is already dead”. “They cut her open like a goat and left her like someone who’s in the mortuary,” said the distraught Minyoi, adding that the deep wound has become so serious and has been left open without any stitches ever since the operation in January this year. “Even when she eats food, it comes out through the intestines, it is terrible,” said the tearful Ester Minyoi, very unhappy that nothing is being done about Iuze Minyoi’s critical medical condition. It all started when this Namcol learner from Katima Mulilo began complaining of some stomach cramps early this year. According to the guardians the painkillers she was given did not help and she later returned to Katima Mulilo State Hospital, where an ultrasound scan was performed which revealed an infection in her stomach. “They told us that she was having some fluids and sores in her stomach,” said Minyoi, who claimed that some foreign doctors don’t even know what they are doing to the patients at the hospital. Allegedly instead of closing up the wound, the doctor who operated on her left her to be covered only with a bandage. Without getting any reasons as to why the wound was not closed up in the first place, the relatives were even more shocked to find out that the patient was recently transferred in an ambulance from Katima Mulilo to the Katutura State Hospital in Windhoek, a distance of about 1 300 km. Iuze was then admitted to the Katutura State Hospital over the weekend and is now on a drip. When New Era visited the patient with the relatives yesterday, none of the medical personnel were really aware of the admittance of Iuze. “It is my first time to see her,” said the nurse in charge of Ward 2B. “I was not working on the weekend shift when the patient was admitted,” she said. It was only after the insistence of the guardians that New Era was allowed to take pictures of the patient. No one seemed to know more about the patient’s condition and referred all matters to the Health Permanent Secretary, Dr Kalumbi Shangula. When approached for comment, head of the Katima Mulilo State Hospital Dr Simasiku Kanjawe said that he was aware of the patient’s referral but declined to comment any further. “Sorry I cannot answer that question, for such information you must ask the permanent secretary. I cannot comment on that, I am in a meeting,” said Kanjawe briefly. Meanwhile, Shangula said that he was only informed about the patient’s case by one of the relatives yesterday morning. He however pointed out that procedurally surgery of this nature is normally carried out in a certain way. “There is one thing you need to understand here. If the wound is septic you don’t close it, so that the infection and puss must come out or be drained out in order for the patient to heal properly,” said Shangula, adding that she is currently being given treatment. Many questions however still remain unanswered for the relatives on Iuze’s condition, like who is the doctor who operated on her and what medical condition she is suffering from, as well as for how long she has to remain like that with an open wound. The patient, who is an orphan, originates from the eastern part of the Caprivi in Kabbe constituency.