A critically ill Mpumalanga teenager has been waiting for a liver transplant because his father does not want the blood transfusion process to be conducted.

The father, whose name cannot be disclosed due to the sensitivity of the matter, told The Citizen as a member of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, his family members are not allowed to undergo a blood transfusion process.

According to the father, the 14-year-old male from KwaGuqa in Emalahleni was initially admitted to the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, where doctors found he was suffering from kidney failure caused by kidney stones. 

‘The doctors told us that the cause of the problems was a severe liver problem that requires a liver transplant. They said during the surgery he might lose a lot of blood. They suggested a need for a blood transfusion – something I will not allow to happen because there are other ways that can be used to increase his blood volume,’ said the father.

The father claimed the teen previously underwent several operations whereby alternative ways were used to increase his blood, so he was surprised the facility refused to do the same now.

The Citizen notes that Shaheda Omar, clinical director for the Teddy Bear Foundation, said members of Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse transfusions based on their interpretation of biblical texts.

For competent adults, this refusal is legally protected under constitutional rights to freedom of religion, bodily autonomy and human dignity.

Omar, however, said when the patient was a child, the legal framework shifted significantly.

‘Most Children’s Acts (in jurisdictions such as SA and others with similar frameworks) are built on the best interests of the child, which is paramount in all matters concerning the child. Key principles generally include a child’s right to life, their right to basic health care services and protection from neglect or harm. It is the state’s duty to intervene when a child’s well-being is endangered.’

Full report in The Citizen