July 1, 2013
Hospital running out of beds as botched circumcision patient's rise
The number of initiates who had to be admitted in hospital due to botched circumcisions in the Eastern Cape has now increased to 227.
Earlier on Monday, Health authorities said they were treating 151 initiates. Health spokesperson, Sizwe Kupelo says they are running out of beds and that the department is forced to identify special wards for the badly injured initiates.
The rise in the death toll and the number of serious injuries suffered by initiates in the Eastern Cape has become a matter of concern for the provincial health department.
Mthatha is one of the worst affected areas in the province. Kupelo says they are trying to send qualified nurses and a group of medical professionals into the rural areas to monitor the situation.
He says the majority of the initiates are suffering from septic wounds and some have lost their private parts, which is a matter of grave concern. Kupelo says all these injuries can be prevented with early medical attention.
"We are currently treating 151 boys in various hospitals and our concern is that we are running out of beds. We were forced to identify special wards for the initiates who are badly injured; some of them were certified dead on arrival, and the number of these who died unfortunately is currently sitting at 25."
Eastern Cape Health MEC Sicelo Gqobana will be visiting the hospitalised initiates on Friday.
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