Zim GBC News | South African Correspondent
JOHANNESBURG – A young mother from Alexandra is seeking compensation and accountability after claiming that staff at Masakhane Clinic wrongly diagnosed her as HIV-positive, leading her to administer antiretroviral (ARV) medication to her newborn for a month.
Moloko Letlalo, who lives in Vasco, gave birth at the clinic on November 24, 2024. She was informed post-delivery that she had tested positive for HIV and was immediately prescribed ARVs for herself and her infant.
“I gave my baby the ARVs for a month,” Letlalo told Zim GBC News.
“But when I retested at Thoko Ngoma Clinic, all my results came back negative. That’s when I realized they had made a terrible mistake.”
The alleged misdiagnosis has had severe personal consequences. Letlalo’s partner ended their relationship upon learning of the initial diagnosis, leaving her and her baby without a home. She also lost her identification documents and those needed to register her child’s birth.
Her attempts to seek redress were initially met with resistance.
“When I returned to Masakhane Clinic to report the mistake, they accused me of being in denial,” she explained.
Letlalo stated that a healthcare worker from Thoko Ngoma Clinic assisted her in getting retested and subsequently contacted Masakhane on her behalf.
“The manager promised to investigate, but we are still waiting for a response,” she said.
The experience has left lasting emotional scars.
“Even now, my baby’s Road-to-Health card states that I am HIV-positive. It makes me feel terrible every time I see it,” Letlalo revealed.
“I want the clinic to take responsibility and compensate us for what they did.”
The Gauteng Department of Health had not responded to requests for comment at the time of publication.
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