[GRAPHIC IMAGES] Wrong meds caused bommel breakout on vrou’s body
|Published
WARNING: Story contains images that may upset sensitive readers.
A Lotus River woman is kwaad with the City of Cape Town after clinic staff, who she claims gave her the incorrect medication, causing boils to form on her back and breasts.
Desiree Hopley, 42, says it felt like her skin was on fire as she suffered for weeks with large boils across her upper body.
She says she was given “ sterk salf” and bandages when she went back for help.
Desiree says on 22 January she went to Klip Road Clinic for her chronic medication and was given a packet of “Durobac tablets”.
PRESCRIBE: Durobac pills
She was told the round white tablets were regular pain killers.
“I normally get pain tablets but it doesn’t look like that.
"I went to the house of the lady where I work as a domestic worker once a week and she asked me for a pain pill,” says Desiree.
“I went to the toilet and she took one of the tablets.
"I went home and took two tablets every day like the sister told me, but I didn’t have any pain.
“I just did what she
said because they are
professionals.”
MAJOR MISTAKE: A Klip Road clinic gave wrong pille
She says a few days later she noticed a small rash on her chest. “It wasn’t itching but it was burning. My skin was on fire but I didn’t think anything of it.
“Then it started getting worse and spread from my breasts around my arm and on my back. It was big water bommels all over. I couldn’t even work.”
She says she went to Retreat Day Hospital as the clinic was closed on weekends, but was sent home.
“I went to the Day Hospital here in Lotus River on the Monday and had to beg the sister for help. I cried and told her it’s burning and they just gave me sterk salf and bandages.
EINA! Pille caused burning boils to spread over woman's body. Picture: Monique Duval
“The nurse was rude and told me I must keep taking the tablets. The bommels started bursting and my skin was open and you can see now there are scabs all over.”
Desiree says last week she went to the woman whose home she cleans and saw that the woman suffered from the same symptoms.
“Then I realised this was not the right tablets and stopped taking them.
“I am so hartseer that people at the clinic can make such a mistake and when you ask for help, they treat you like this."
According to medical websites, Durobac is used to treat urinary tract, ear, intestinal and lung infections and the side effects include severe skin reactions.
BURNING SENSATION: Desiree Hopley, 42, says it felt as if her skin was on fire
City was asked why Desiree was issued with the medication used to treat infections for her pain, but the media office didn't respond. Mayco health member Zahid Badroodien couldn't be reached for comment.