Actress Hlengiwe Mbambo’s Battle for Justice After Alleged Botched Surgery by Sham Doctor
a shocking turn of events, Hlengiwe Mbambo, the wife of acclaimed actor Thabo Malema, is grappling with the aftermath of a harrowing experience – a surgery conducted by an alleged “fake” doctor at a prominent Johannesburg hospital approximately a year ago.
Despite the high-profile setting, Mbambo continues to endure excruciating pain in her back, front torso, and left side of her stomach, lingering effects of the surgery that took place in December of the previous year.
The toll on her health has not only impacted Mbambo physically but has also strained her newfound marriage to the actor. Frequent admissions to the hospital have become the norm for her, presenting an ongoing battle against the adverse consequences of the surgery.
Taking matters into her own hands, the mother of two recently filed a case with the Douglasdale police station, accusing the doctor in question of attempted murder and impersonation as a medical practitioner. The accused practitioner is affiliated with a private hospital in Johannesburg.
According to Mbambo’s medical records, she underwent a total abdominal hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) on December 22. Initially believing the surgery to be successful, she soon found herself in intense abdominal pain just days later, prompting a return to the hospital. A subsequent CT scan in February revealed an injury sustained during the operation, shedding light on a potential case of medical negligence.
In a brief conversation with Sunday World, Mbambo refrained from delving into specific details, citing the ongoing investigation at the undisclosed hospital. The gravity of the situation is evident, and legal constraints prevent the hospital from being named at this juncture.
Adding another layer of concern, Mbambo’s attempts to validate the qualifications of the doctor yielded unsettling results. The Health Professionals Council of South Africa (HPCSA) failed to locate or verify the doctor’s details, raising questions about the legitimacy of his medical credentials. An email response from the council explicitly stated, “I hereby confirm that the name of [the doctor] does not appear on the register of health practitioners kept by the council.”
Fueling her suspicions, Mbambo initiated her own inquiry. Notably, the doctor, who she distinctly remembers being involved in the operation, was listed as an assistant doctor in her records. Strikingly, this purported assistant did not feature on her medical aid bill as one of the responsible doctors for the procedure, further complicating the unraveling mystery.
As of now, no arrests have been made in connection with the case, as confirmed by Captain Mavela Masondo, a police spokesperson. The investigation is actively ongoing, and the authorities are diligently pursuing leads in the pursuit of justice.
In the face of adversity, Hlengiwe Mbambo stands resolute, determined to uncover the truth behind the alleged malpractice that has significantly altered her life. The unfolding saga underscores the critical need for stringent measures to safeguard the integrity of the medical profession and protect unsuspecting patients from potential harm at the hands of unscrupulous practitioners.
