EASTERN CAPE: Another circumcision death

The New Age Online (South Africa)
June 19, 2014

Contralesa to monitor initiation schools

by Sithandiwe Velaphi
Traditional leaders and health officials in the Eastern Cape will monitor initiation schools daily in an effort to stop the deaths of initiates.

The decision, announced yesterday, followed the death of an initiate in Mqanduli a week ago.

The death has left Eastern Cape traditional leaders worried following their immense campaigns with which they pledged for zero deaths of initiates this winter.

A 16-year-old initiate died at Upper Ngqwarha village in Mqanduli.

It is not yet clear how the initiate died but a botched circumcision has not been ruled out.

In the past four days, hundreds of boys in the Eastern Cape have gone to circumcision schools in line with their culture.

Traditional leaders will launch the start of the initiation season in Mthatha on Friday.

The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa), which vowed for zero deaths, said the death of the Mqanduli initiate was cause for concern.

“This means our aim has been dashed already. This is worrying us,” Contralesa general secretary chief Xolile Ndevu said.

“But we are not going to fold our arms. “We will play our part in making sure that lives of our boys are saved.”
...

A total of 82 boys form the Eastern Cape died between June and December last year.

A former Eastern Cape doctor, Dingeman Rijken, who worked at Holy Cross Hospital in Flagstaff, said only the centralisation of the ritual could save lives. [...or leaving out the genital cutting...]
“The rest of their (traditional leaders’) plan is similar to those of previous years.

“It is therefore highly unlikely that this season will be death-free,” Rijken said.

PRETORIA: Two initiates die, murder charge opened

The New Age Online
June 17, 2014

Two initiates lose lives

by France Nyaka
Two dockets of murder will be sent to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) by police authorities following the deaths of initiates in the province.

Police said two boys, whose names have not been released, lost their lives a few days ago due to circumcision complications at an initiation school in Verena outside Kwaggafotein.

The school is allegedly headed by a female principal “surgeon” (known as ingcibi in the Nguni languages), even though women are traditionally barred from involvement in initiation schools.
The Congress of Traditional Leaders of South Africa (Contralesa) in the province has called for urgent police investigation because “not a single woman has the authority to run an initiation school for men in the province”.

And while some sources have claimed that there have in fact been three initiation-related deaths in the province, police have denied this and said that only two boys lost their lives.
...

But sources told The New Age that the female school owner was granted authority to conduct circumcisions by the Mgibe-Mabena Traditional Authority, which is under the principal command of Ndebele monarch Makhosonke II.

The king’s spokesperson, prince Jimmy Mabena, referred all enquiries to the traditional authority’s chairperson, prince Daniel Mabena, who could not be reached for comment.

Last year, almost 30 Ndebele initiates died as a result of dehydration, excessive bleeding and botched circumcisions.

A few days ago, the NPA returned the dockets to the police and recommended that those involved be charged in the courts of their respective areas, such as KwaMhlanga, Middelburg, Verena and Belfast.

JOHANNESBURG: Man seeks redress for botch

Daily Sun (South Africa)
June 11, 2014

Justice for my 4-5!

(June 11 2014) - He had the circumcision because his wife kept fighting with him to do it. But the operation was a mess, and now his wife is fighting with him because of his damaged penis.
NOT ONLY COULD HE LOSE HIS 4-5, BUT HIS WIFE HAS MOVED OUT OF THE HOUSE AS WELL.

The sad businessman (30) from Germiston, east of Joburg was perfectly happy with his sex life, but his pregnant wife wasn't. She said it would make sex for her much better if he went to the clinic to have a circumcision done.

But if he didn't do it, she said, he would be without a wife. In the end the man agreed, so he went to the Johannesburg Men's Clinic on 21 May. He paid R750 [$US 69.75] and went home the same day.
"I was not in any pain. I had a bandage wrapped around my penis and I couldn't see the cut," he said. But a few days later his wound became very painful and he took off the bandage.

"I could not believe my eyes," he said. "My foreskin had been cut off and it had been stitched back on again!" He immediately went back to the clinic but says they refused to give him the name of the doctor who did the operation. The man came to South Africa from Rwanda during the war in that country without being circumcised. "Last year I visited my family and they told me I had to be circumcised by a traditional healer. I ended up crying and telling my parents I was old and I was afraid things would go wrong," he said. "Then my wife started complaining. She said real men were circumcised." He said he couldn't sleep and he hadn't gone to work.

"My wife has taken our seven-year-old son and left the house. They are living in our other house in Vanderbijlpark," he said. "I am worried they may never come back."

The man is sleeping in the Wendy House outside so he doesn't disturb the other people in the house. "I have made peace with the fact that I may lose my penis. I am even prepared to fly to England to have it removed," he said. "But when I come back, that doctor will suffer." Clinic spokesman, Phumlani Dladla confirmed the doctor who did the operation made a mistake. It appears the patient had a lot of excess skin and the doctor didn't cut off enough.

Then he realised his mistake and cut off some more, but this time he cut off too much and sewed some skin back on again. He said the man may not have followed the doctor's instructions and that is why he ended up with a septic penis. [Yes, blame the victim.] "We have offered to do a second operation to rectify that," said Dladla. "We are willing to fix the problem if the man co-operates." "We know it will hurt but the problem will be fixed." The man has lodged a complaint against the doctor with the Health Professional Council of South Africa, which requested the name and practice number of the doctor.

DENMARK: Baby in coma after circumcision

BT (Denmark) May 23, 2014 Læge: Omskæring gik helt galt i Nordvest - baby i koma Af: Silla Bakalus En lille baby er kommet så slemt til skade i forbindelse med en omskæring på en privatklinik på Nørrebro, at han er blevet lagt i koma. Sådan forlyder det i et facebook-indlæg, der de seneste dage er blevet spredt med lynets hast på facebook. Bl.a. har personer som Suzanne Bjerrehus samt den kendte overlæge og forsker i seksuel sundhed, Morten Frisch spredt indlægget. Sidstnævnte bekræfter, at historien er sand overfor BT. - Jeg kan bekræfte, at historien er sand. For jeg har talt med lægen, der har udført indgrebet, og han bekræfter, at drengen ligger i respirator, siger Morten Frisch. Ifølge indlægget, der angiveligt er skrevet af et familiemedlem til den lille dreng, havnede babyen i koma, efter han tirsdag blev omskåret på en privatklinik i Københavns Nordvest-kvarter. Efterfølgende måtte drengen indlægges på Hvidovre Hospital, hvor han altså blev lagt i koma. - Inden omskæringen gav han (lægen, red.) bedøvelse, desværre kom den amatør til at give babyen for meget bedøvelse ca. 8ml. (Han burde højst give 3ml. da babyen kun vejer 3 kg.) Kort efter omskæringen og mens babyen stadig var på klinikken begyndte han at havde svært ved at trække vejret og farven i ansigtet ændrede sig samtidig med der kom væske ud af munden på babyen, lyder ordlyden i indlægget... Dansk Folkepartis Liselott Blixt stillede i torsdag følgende spørgsmål til sundhedsminister Nick Hækkerup (S). - Kan ministeren af- eller bekræfte den historie, der florerer i medierne, om en baby der har fået for meget bedøvelse i forbindelse med en omskæring og nu er indlagt på Hvidovre Hospital? Liselott Blixt oplyser fredag formiddag til BT, at hun endnu ikke har fået svar Nick Hækkerup. ...

Bing translation (edited) May 23, 2014 Doctor: Circumcision went badly wrong in the Northwest - baby in a coma By: Silla Bakalus A little baby has suffered so badly in connection with a circumcision at a private clinic in Nørrebro, that he has been put into a coma. This was reported in a Facebook post that has gone viral. People like Suzanne Bjerrehus and the well-known consultant and researcher in sexual health, Morten Frisch, among others, have spread the story. He confirms the story to BT. -I can confirm that the story is true. For I have spoken with the doctor who performed the surgery, and he confirms that the boy is on life support, says Morten Frisch. According to the post, allegedly written by a family member of the little boy, the baby ended up in a coma after he was circumcised on Tuesday at a private clinic in the Northwest District of Copenhagen. Subsequently the boy was hospitalized at Hvidovre Hospital, where he was put into a coma. -Before circumcision, [the doctor] gave him too much anesthetic, about 8ml. instead of the maximum of 3ml. for a 3 kg baby. Shortly after circumcision and still at the clinic, the baby had difficulty breathing, the color of his face changed and fluid was coming out of his mouth, according to the initial post... Danish people's Party member Liselott Blixt asked to health minister Nick Haekkerup (Social Democrat) on Thursday: - -Can the Minister of-or confirm the story, which is rife in the media, about a baby who has gotten too much anesthesia for a circumcision and now is hospitalized at Hvidovre Hospital? Liselott Blixt told BT on Friday morning that she has not yet received a reply from Nick Hækkerup. ...

STOCKHOLM: Swedish doctors want tighter rules for circumcision

Information (Denmark)
26. januar 2014

Svenske læger vil skærpe regler for omskæringer

Det kirurgiske indgreb burde erstattes af en symbolsk omskæring, mener lægeforening. Minister er afvisende.

Den svenske lægeforening mener, at omskæringer kun skal udføres efter samtykke fra drengen.
Anbefalingen støttes af samtlige medlemmer af foreningens etiske udvalg, skriver Svenska Dagbladet.

Hvis politikerne vælger at følge forslaget, vil det være en skærpelse af de nuværende regler for at omskære drengebørn.

Lægeforeningen begrunder sin indstilling med, at risikoen for bivirkninger ved det kirurgiske indgreb er urimelig høj.

Drenge skal tidligst blive omskåret i 12-13 års alderen. Indgrebet, hvor forhuden bliver fjernet, skal foretages på et hospital og først efter, at der er givet information om smerten og de eventuelle risici, som det kan medføre, mener rådet.

At gå så vidt helt at forbyde omskæringer, hvilket diskuteres i Finland, anses ikke for at være realistisk her og nu, skriver Svenska Dagbladet.

Men grundlæggende mener Läkarförbundet, at det kirurgiske indgreb bør erstattes af en symbolsk omskæring. For eksempel i form af en ceremoni af en eller anden slags.

Den mulighed vil lægerne nu drøfte med med jurister og muslimske repræsentanter.

- Vi er ikke religiøse eksperter, men af medicinske grunde kan vi ikke give vores opbakning til et indgreb, hvor man fjerner væv på kønsorganet, når der er så stor en risiko for alvorlige komplikationer, siger Thomas Flodin fra foreningens etiske råd.

Dansk forskning viser, at der opstår komplikationer i fem procent af samtlige omskæringer - også selv om indgrebet er foretaget af sundhedspersonale på hospitaler.

- At en ud af 20 personer lider af en infektion eller blødninger, er en alt for stor risiko. Især når indgrebet ikke er udført af medicinske grunde, siger Thomas Flodin.

Integrationsminister Erik Ullenhag fra Folkpartiet mener, at den gældende lovgivning er tilstrækkelig.
- Jeg har aldrig mødt en voksen mand, der oplevede omskæringen som et overgreb, siger han til avisen.

(Microsoft translation)
26 January, 2014

Swedish physicians will sharpen rules for circumcision

The surgical procedure should be replaced by a symbolic circumcision, doctors believe. Minister is dismissive.

The Swedish Medical Association believes that circumcision [should be] performed only after consent from the boy.

The recommendation is supported by all the members of the Association's Ethics Committee, Svenska Dagbladet writes.

If politicians choose to follow the proposal, it will be a tightening of the rules currently in force [concerning] circumcising of baby boys.

The Danish Medical Association justifies its recommendation [on the basis] that the risk of side effects from the surgery is excessive.

Boys may be circumcised [at] 12-13 years of age, at the earliest. The procedure, in which the foreskin is removed, must be carried out at a hospital and only after [parents are] given information about the pain and the possible risks it can cause, according to the Council.

To go so far as to completely prohibit circumcision, [being] discussed in Finland, is not considered to be realistic here and now, Svenska Dagbladet writes.

But the Medical Association fundamentally believes that the surgery should be replaced by a symbolic circumcision, for example, in the form of a ceremony of some sort.

They will now discuss the option with doctors, lawyers and Muslim representatives.

"We are not religious experts, but for medical reasons, we cannot give our backing to an intervention where one removes tissue from the genital organ, when there is such a high risk of serious complications," says Thomas Flodin from the Association's ethical Council.

Danish research shows that there will be complications for five percent of all circumcision, even if the procedure is carried out by health care professionals in hospitals.

"For one in 20 people to suffer from an infection or bleeding is too great a risk, especially when the surgery is not performed on medical grounds," says Thomas Flodin.

Integration minister Erik Ullenhag of the Liberal Party believe that the existing legislation is adequate.

"I have never met an adult man who experienced circumcision as an assault," he told the newspaper.

SOUTH AFRICA: R2.2M for botched circumcision

IoL News (South Africa)
June 20, 2013

R2.2m for boy's botched circumcision

by Sharika Regchand

Durban - The parents of a boy whose circumcision was botched at a Vryheid hospital were awarded R2.2 million [$US 195,900] to be paid within 14 days by the provincial Health Department, Deputy Judge President Achmat Jappie ordered in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Wednesday.

Judge Jappie also ordered that the department pay all the family’s legal costs.

The mother of the child, now nine, sued the department on behalf of her son following his circumcision in October 2009. [They asked for five times as much.]

He suffered severe burning, infections and a loss of his normal penile tissue after the procedure.

Plastic and reconstructive surgeon Paul McGarr said in a report before the court that he was “completely amazed by the inertia, lack of a sense of urgency and lack of sensitivity shown by the doctors” who initially managed the child.

McGarr went into detail as to how the child’s injury had occurred and commented that the standard of practice and aftercare at the hospital constituted gross negligence by staff who had failed to follow the most basic principles of surgery.

“The words lazy, incompetent and disinterested accurately describe the treating doctor’s actions,” he said.

“In essence, nine minutes of a rushed, incompetent circumcision has significantly and severely impacted on the child for the rest of his life.”

Attorney Sonette Boning said the boy’s parents were happy that the matter had been finalised after four years.

She said they were not on medical aid and had found it difficult to get him the best medical and psychological treatment.

He would also need to have further surgery.

The mother previously told The Mercury that it was difficult for her son and there had been a big change in his life.

“He went through a lot of anxiety, fear and psychological trauma. He also lost his self-confidence,” she said, recalling days when her son had panic attacks and times when she could do nothing to help him feel better.

Earlier story

SAUDI ARABIA: Travel ban on ENT doctor who botched four circumcisions

Saudi Gazette
June 3, 2013

Travel ban on Arab doctor after 'botched circumcisions'

MADINAH — Government bodies in Madinah have banned an Arab doctor from leaving the country after he was accused of botching four circumcision procedures, Al-Watan newspaper reported.

Madinah Health Affairs have admitted the babies to a local children’s hospital to prepare reports about their conditions.

The babies’ parents complained to the directorate about their children’s suffering after they were circumcised.

They said the babies were having difficulties urinating and their wounds have not healed despite the long period that had passed since the procedure.

The Director of Madinah Health Affairs Dr. Abdullah Al-Taifi said a medical committee was formed to investigate the incident and the babies were admitted to a hospital.

He said the doctor who performed the procedures works at a private hospital as a nose and ear specialist and was not licensed to perform such procedures.

He added that the doctor has caused harm to the babies and the directorate has notified security bodies to ban him from leaving the country until investigations are completed.

The medical committee will submit a report of its findings to the judicial authorities for further action.

In another incident, a child suffered chest and skin inflammation in a private hospital after a needle was mistakenly left in his chest.

Al-Tafi said he regretted these mistakes and that a committee was also formed to investigate the incident. [Any regret or committees for the four circumcised babies?]

The official apologized to the child’s parents and said that they have the right to sue those responsible. [Any apology or right to sue for the parents of the four circumcised babies?]

He said the reports regarding the five incidents would be ready by Monday.