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Operation mix-up victim is still admitted to MOI
2008-01-24 09:17:25
By Correspondent Felister Peter
Emmanuel Didas (20), who underwent a wrong head operation on November 1, last year, is still admitted to the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI) taking medicines he came with from India.
His brother, Ludan Didas, told \'The Guardian\' in an interview on Tuesday that Emmanuel`s condition was improving, but he had apparently lost memory.
He said their family had a meeting last week at which they discussed whether or not to file a case demanding for compensation, but they decided to wait until their relative had finished the current dosage.
``Doctors at MOI have told us that Didas has to stay at the hospital until he finishes his medicines. We are not exactly sure when he will be discharged``, said Ludan.
However, the brother said the relatives were of the view that there was need to demand for compensation after Didas lost the ability to continue with his former job. He was a motorcycle technician in Ilala, Dar es Salaam.
On November 1, 2007, doctors swapped two patients, Emmanuel Didas and Emmanuel Mgaya from Iringa and had them operated for ailments they were not suffering from. Didas took the head knife meant for Emmanuel Mgaya who underwent a knee operation instead.
Emmanuel Mgaya, who was a secondary school student in Iringa, died shortly after he underwent the head operation. He was buried at his home village in Ludewa District, Iringa Region.
Mgaya was referred to the Muhimbili National Hospital from Kibena hospital in Njombe after developing a splitting headache. Doctors suggested that he undergo a head operation in mid November, last year.
Didas was admitted to Sewahaji ward suffering from a swollen knee sustained in a motorcycle accident. He was to be operated on to remove a blood clot.
The MOI management immediately formed a committee to work on the matter, whose report was submitted to Health and Social Welfare minister David Mwakyusa early last month.
Mwakyusa rejected the first report and instead formed another five-strong probe team that was led by Prof William Mahalu, a neuron surgeon specialist from Bugando Hospital in Mwanza.
Mwakyusa then ordered the MOI board and the Tanzania Medical Council (TMC) to take punitive action against those implicated in the mix-up and effect recommendations made by the Mahalu committee within two weeks.
Early this year, the MOI board announced that it had suspended 11 doctors and nurses who were involved in the horrendous operations.
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