Malawi govt yet to compensate amputated boy

A Blantyre based boy Calvin Kavalo, who was amputated after medical treatment went wrong, is yet to get his K11.7 million compensation, two years after the High Court ordered government to give him the money for pain and suffering he endured in 2005.

The boy, had his leg amputated when he was 11 years-old after medical treatment went wrong at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre.

It all started on May 8 2005 when the boy started vomiting and purging and he was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Doctors at the facility, according to Marriam Zabula, Calvin’s grandmother, put him on a drip on his leg with the hope of replacing the body fluids. The drip was put on the leg after doctors had failed to trace the veins in the arm.

But instead of the fluids in the drip entering the body, it was the blood that was coming from the body entering into the drip.

After some, the boy’s leg paralysed and topped functioning.

Later doctors, who are said to apologised for the mistake, recommended for an amputation, which was duly done.

In 2006, Calvin grandfather, Alubuini Zabula Phiri sought legal redress, and High Court judge Ken Manda awarded Calvin K1,050,000.

But his guardians appealed considering the pain and suffering he endured.

On May 11, 2012, Justice Matapa Kacheche, Assistant Registrar of the Supreme Court and High Court of Malawi, awarded Calvin K11,770,000 including costs of the action.

The breakdown was as follows; K3 million for pain and suffering, K5.5 million for disfigurement, K3 million for loss of amenities and K270,000 as special damages for post injury expenses.

But two years down the line, the money has not been given to the boy.

Calvin’s lawyer Edwin Banda confirmed that they are yet to get the money from the Attorney General.

While the Attorney General Kalekeni Kaphale asked for more time to look into the matter as he could not remember it off hand.

They boy is now in Standard three at Makata CCAP in Ndirande, and his guardians are just hoping that he be compensated one day.