WHEN he goes out on the street, people turn their heads.
Philani Raweni (29) looks as if he’s been badly beaten up because the left side of his face, including his eye and chin, is swollen.
But the young man from Ntuzuma, north of Durban doesn’t understand why his face is so swollen.
He said in November, he thought he had a toothache and went to a clinic nearby to have the tooth extracted. He was told there was nothing wrong with his tooth but that he had a boil on his chin.
“They transferred me to Mahatma Gandhi Hospital, where they injected me and gave me tablets.
“When that didn’t work, they tried to clean out the sore but it wasn’t a boil and nothing came out.”
Read Also:
He said the tablets didn’t help either and instead the pain and swelling became worse.
“It’s been four months of hell.
“I can’t sleep at night or do piece jobs anymore.
“What hurts me the most is the reaction I get from people.”
He said some people laugh at him because they think he was beaten up, while others give him different remedies.
“I’ve tried all I know and even consulted traditional healers but nothing helps,” he said.
He said now he stays indoors because he is tired of people’s reactions.
He wants the KZN Health Department to ask a specialist to consult him. Department spokeswoman Ncumisa Ndelu confirmed that healthcare professionals saw Philani at a clinic.
“He is receiving ongoing medical attention and is due to be referred to a higher level facility,” she said.
