South African resident Solomon Mthana shares his harrowing experience of enduring mental and emotional anguish following an erroneous HIV diagnosis and subsequent prescription of ARV medication. PHOTO : Gistmania
In Summary:
- A South African man shares his emotional and psychological distress after a wrongful HIV diagnosis led to unnecessary ARV treatment.
- The Eastern Cape health department acknowledged the error, attributing it to the limitations of rapid response HIV tests and issuing an apology.
Solomon Mthana, a South African man, has revealed the mental and emotional turmoil he endured following a wrongful HIV diagnosis and subsequent ARV treatment.
The 50-year-old’s ordeal began in March when he visited Settlers Hospital in Makhanda to have a lump in his head surgically removed.
During the pre-surgery tests, doctors conducted a rapid response HIV test, which falsely indicated he was HIV-positive.
Mthana was promptly given counseling and started on ARV treatment.
He recounted the physical toll the medication took on him, saying, “I was struggling to get used to the drugs. The first two weeks were the worst. I was vomiting constantly, had nausea, and my body was often abnormally tired.”
The true results of his blood tests, which came back negative, were only revealed in April, after Mthana had been on ARVs for over a month.
Reflecting on the day he received the initial diagnosis, Mthana noted that the unusually kind behavior of the nurses and the immediate presence of a therapist made him suspect something was wrong.
“Around four nurses received me when I arrived at the facility and were too polite. I have never seen them like that. They even offered me tea. There was also a therapist. By that time, I knew there was something suspicious. Then the doctor came and broke this news,” he said.
The misdiagnosis deeply affected Mthana and his family, who had been informed of his supposed HIV-positive status.
“It’s been an emotional and psychological roller-coaster ride for me and my family. We have been taken to hell and back,” he shared.
The Eastern Cape health department attributed the error to the rapid response HIV test’s limitations and issued an apology to Mthana.
Department spokesperson Mkhululi Ndamase explained, “HIV test kits have a 99% accuracy rate, meaning there is a possibility of false positive cases. The test was done in line with protocol.”
Ndamase confirmed that Settlers Hospital had contacted Mthana, provided an explanation of the clinical processes, and offered redress, which he accepted. The department stated that no one at the hospital would face consequences for the incident.
Despite concerns about the potential long-term effects of taking and then stopping ARVs, Prof. Glenda Gray, former president and CEO of the SA Medical Research Council, assured Mthana that he need not worry about lasting harm.