Dr. Khutso Mhlaba tears up after saving a man’s life
Sometimes there is good in the world. Here is a story of how a dedicated Doctor, Dr. Khutso Mhlaba, saved a life. It is heartwarming that he refused to give up on a dying man.
So one of the nurses called Dr. Kutso Mahlaba to the ward because like in true internal medicine fashion, a patient was gasping. He gets there and finds himself surrounded by four nurses. Three of them were negative and were not keen for him to resuscitate the patient or help.
When he got to the patient the blood pressures were on the floor (systolic of 40s), the patient was desaturating and the pulse was also low. The patient’s wife was sitting right next to him.
He wanted to give adrenaline when he found out that the drip the patient had was not working. At that moment he wanted to cry. He attempted to put up a peripheral line, law and behold the patient had no veins. At that point, all the nurses had left him on his own.
He opted for a CVP, luckily he got it. Gave fluids gave adrenaline, BPs picked up, statistics picked up and the pulse picked up.
Dr. Khutso Mhlaba refused to give up
He confesses that he wasn’t ready to certify a death and counsel the patient’s wife while she watched her husband die. He also wasn’t about to watch people just give up on a life that easily even if the condition was deteriorating. As he narrated the sorry he was literally in his car crying.
What he found funny is that the three nurses were all shocked that the patient was doing much better when they were not even willing to try. He can now sleep well knowing he gave his all no matter what happens to the patient at this point and that’s a win.