Shooting victim’s family complains of treatment delay
A resident of Ongwediva who was struck by a stray bullet and had to be rushed to the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital on April 21, will undergo surgery today to remove the bullet that is stuck in his thigh.
Relatives of 27-year-old Ashipala Sackeus have expressed concern about the delayed operation, but the medical superintendent of the Oshakati hospital, Dr Josephine Augustinus, is adamant that there is nothing abnormal about the delay.
Dr Augustinus also dismissed reports that the patient’s condition had deteriorated because of blood poisoning caused by the bullet. “There is nothing abnormal about the delayed operation. We have conducted the necessary assessment to determine the extent of the damage. The assessment found that no blood vessel was damaged and the patient’s life was not in danger. Therefore we are not dealing with an emergency case here,†she said.
She said she had spoken to the patient’s relatives and explained the process.
“It is normal for relatives of a patient in such a situation to be worried, but I can assure you that this particular patient is in a stable condition and will be operated on according to plan. There is no need to worry or make unnecessary alarm,†she said.
Dr Augustinus said Sackeus was on medication and would definitely be operated on today.
“The patient is receiving antibiotics and other medication because of low haemoglobin, possibly as a result of blood loss. We are not only going to remove the bullet, but there is also a fracture that has to be fixed. Therefore we have been giving him medication to make him fit for operation and to avoid complications,†she said.
She said people need to understand that the Oshakati hospital is a referral hospital, handling cases from the whole northern region and there are only four operating theatres. “Patients are placed on a list and only emergencies are operated promptly,†she said.
She said a new and more modern theatre will be constructed soon.
Sackeus, who is an employee of the Markham’s clothing franchise in Oshakati, was coming from work when he was struck by a stray bullet moments after stepping out of taxi on his way home at Ongwediva.
The shot allegedly went off accidentally when a security guard mishandled his service gun.
The police spokesman in the Oshana Region, Sergeant Thomas Aiyambo, said yesterday that he did not know anything about the incident and could not say whether a suspect had been arrested.
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