Wrongfully Diagnosed? Moja Love helps

The day we walk into a hospital could lead to one of our happiest moments – or one of our most terrifying experiences. So, there are strict hospital protocols around explaining procedures and their possible consequences to patients and their loved ones before any medical intervention.

However, what if you start to suspect that something is going wrong because someone is doing wrong? The question sets the premise for brand-new reality series, Wrongfully Diagnosed on Moja Love (DStv Channel 157). South Africans who’ve lived through the nightmare of medical negligence and malpractice and sue for compensation.

We asked Wrongfully Diagnosed series producer, Thato Nawe, pressing questions…

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Watch Wrongfully Diagnosed Season 1 from Thursday, 24 November at 21:00 on Moja Love (DStv Channel 157).

Wrongfully diagnosed? It’s complicated

How do you back up a story about medical negligence?

It must be proven beyond reasonable doubt that the hospital or the healthcare delivered an unfair or unlawful conduct to the patient. Furthermore, it must be proven that the act has left the patient with a financial or emotional loss.

Were there common threads in stories about why negligence happened?

Yes, the pattern is always the same, especially in maternity wards of public hospitals.

What are a couple of the stories we’ll see that shocked you?

We saw a man who was given medication that was meant for another patient (their pills were swapped). And a pregnant epileptic lady was induced, then sent home to fetch clothes after induction!

What’s the oldest case you feature in the show?

The epileptic lady’s case is about 10 years old. Unfortunately, her files were missing and the only explanation for this was that the hospital might have burned them. But a case for negligence must be lodged within three years of the incident. The longer the wait, the greater the chance of expiry it’ll stand.

Did you have medical professionals consulting on the show?

Yes. Their role on the show is to give an overview of the matters without objecting to anyone’s case.

Were you able to get the hospitals’ side of the story?

The objective of the show is to educate people on how they can help themselves and to be guard against such practices. We want to raise awareness, not to confront any practice. However, the channel is open for any response from these sectors.

Watch Wrongfully Diagnosed Season 1 from Thursday, 24 November at 21:00 on Moja Love (DStv Channel 157).

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