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Mother wins case after Limpopo doctor operates on son’s wrong knee
A Limpopo mother has successfully sued the provincial health department after her young son’s knee surgery went catastrophically wrong. The operation, meant to fix his left knee, left him permanently injured on the right.
A mother’s relief turns into shock
The mother, whose name has been withheld to protect her child, told the Polokwane High Court she cried tears of relief when her eight-year-old son came out of surgery. After years of waiting and multiple postponements, she believed his painful knee condition had finally been treated. But her happiness soon turned to heartbreak. Doctors at Lebowakgomo Hospital had operated on the wrong leg.
She said she had only signed consent for surgery on the left knee, never the right. Records later confirmed that the planned procedure was a left knee ligament reconstruction and arthroscopy, but the team performed surgery on the opposite knee.
The medical mistake that changed everything
The boy, referred to only as O, underwent a femoral supracondylar osteotomy, a serious procedure meant to correct deformities. During the operation, the surgeon discovered the right knee’s ligaments were intact but continued anyway, instead of pausing to consult the family.
A medical expert later testified that such ligament injuries are extremely rare in children and that the doctor’s diagnosis and decision to proceed were both unreasonable. The result was a severe deformity of the right femur, leaving the boy with lasting mobility problems, while his original left knee condition remained untreated.
Court rules in mother’s favour
Acting Judge LA Nkoana ruled that the Limpopo MEC for Health was liable for the doctor’s negligence. The court accepted the mother’s and the expert’s testimonies as credible and found that the surgery was carried out without proper justification or consent.
“The court has no reason not to accept the evidence of the mother and her expert regarding the negligence of the doctor,” Judge Nkoana said.
The amount of compensation due to the mother and her son will be decided in a separate hearing.
A wake-up call for public healthcare
The case has drawn widespread attention, with many South Africans expressing outrage over the state of medical accountability in public hospitals. On social media, users voiced support for the mother, calling the outcome a rare moment of justice in a system that often fails ordinary families.
The judgment serves as a warning to health authorities about the consequences of negligence and a reminder that every patient, especially a child, deserves care guided by diligence and humanity.
Also read: Cohabiting couples can share joint estates, rules South Africa’s Supreme Court
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: Capital Area Physical Therapy
