Oscar Mdluli, 38, is pleading with the Mpumalanga Health Department (MHD) to assist him to recover his eyesight as he urgently needed to cut away cataracts from his eyes.
According to Mdluli, he was diagnosed with the severe cataracts five years ago and since then he had been to Mapulaneng Hospital on many occasions. But, according to him, nothing had so far come from their promises and now he can barely see anymore.
“I have lost all hope because the MHD has failed me. I am now a disabled person. I had tried everything to get help, I even hired a car to take me to Themba hospital, but they too had excuses,” Mdluli told Highveld Chronicle. He said that since he lost his eyesight, he had lost almost everything he had worked for, his job, his land and all the money that he saved.
“My family members took advantage of my situations and stole this money when I quit my job due to my condition, now I have nothing and the fact that I cannot get the help that I need is killing me inside. I now plead with anyone who can assist me so that I can regain my sight again,” he said. Mdluli said he also lost his mother and was living with his aunt who is abusing him because he cannot fight for himself and staying in a dilapidated house as the family does not want him there.
One of Mdluli’s neighbours who wanted to remain anonymous said that Mdluli’s situation was devastating because he is now blind and had lost his biological mother who was assisting him. The fact that he knows he could still regain his sight, but with the hospital not willing to assist, is very sad. “If he can just get the operation done so that he can see again, he can take good care of himself. He used to have a good job but had lost everything now. This could have been avoided,” said the anonymous. Speaking on behalf of the Health department, spokesperson Chris Nobela said they would investigate the matter and ensure Mdluli gets the help he needs.
