The Voice (Francistown)
Chedza Simon
13 November 2007
Southern District Council has flatly denied that pills meant to cure vaginal infection, which Dada Clinic in Kanye wrongfully prescribed to a 33-year-old man as painkillers, had led to his death.
Tshiamo Batoko died last month after allegedly consuming the pills which the clinic gave him prescribed as painkillers.
The deceased's mother, Esther Batoko told The Voice that her son had gone to the clinic to seek medical attention for his bruised cheek. She said when he got to the clinic, the pharmacist gave him pills which are usually inserted into the vagina to cure vaginal infections, prescribing them as painkillers.
Esther said while taking the pills, orally, three times a day as prescribed, her son was warned by a friend that the pills he was taking were meant for women. He is said to have taken the pills back to the clinic where they were repossessed, and the proper drugs were then given to him.
"He fell sick and started suffocating. I took him to Princess Marina Hospital where he died a few minutes after arrival. I am not saying those pills killed him, but we are demanding explanations as to why he was given the wrong pills. We have since asked the state to perform a post mortem and we are waiting for the results to make informed decisions," said the mother.
Confronted with the allegations, Council Secretary Kaisara Mpedi said: "It is true that Batoko reported that our Dada Clinic this July prescribed him the vaginal pills after he had sought medical attention for a bruised cheek.
"The following day, he reported that he was given the wrong drugs and they were immediately repossessed and replaced with the right drugs," said Mpedi.
He said after consuming the pills, Batoko complained of illness, associating the drugs to his ill health. "He was taken for assessment by an independent medical practitioner, to find out if these pills were the cause of his problem, but the doctor certified that the drugs had no negative effect on him," the Council Secretary said.
He explained that further to the doctor's report, the Council had instigated its own investigations and that the results were communicated to Batoko.
Can They Kill If Wrongly Used?
The Voice asked for a professional opinion from a medical practitioner. Dr Marufu of Gaborone Private Hospital said drugs, of any type, that are inserted into the vagina to cure infections, would not cause a negative effect in the human body, if consumed.
"It's about their formulation. It depends on the type of pessary drugs, but technically any of them would not have any adverse effect. We don't expect them to cause problems," said Dr Marufu.
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