Doctors could be forced to conduct blood transfusion on Jehova’s Witness teen
· Citizen
Doctors will be forced to conduct a blood transfusion on a Mpumalanga teenager without the consent of the parents should his condition get worse, the Gauteng department of health said.
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The 14-year-old teenager’s liver transplant surgery has been on hold for three months because his father is refusing to allow his son to have a blood transfusion.
Religious objection stalls transplant
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 is not allowed to undergo the process.
However, the department said: “South African law requires that the best interests of the child remain paramount.
“Clinicians provide counselling, explore alternatives and act according to ethical and legal frameworks.
“If parental refusal of treatment places the child at significant risk and no medically accepted alternative exists, established legal and ethical processes exist to protect the child. In this case, the patient continues to receive appropriate monitoring and treatment.”
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Legal framework and emergency exceptions
All hospitals require informed consent for blood products, except in emergency situations where life-saving interventions may be necessary, the department said.
Families are counselled regarding available treatment options, including medically recognised alternatives, and their religious or personal beliefs are respected, it added.
The condition of the boy was improving and was being monitored by the doctors, it said.
“We remain fully engaged with the family and clinical teams, ensuring all decisions are guided by the best interests of the child and South African law.
“Clinical decisions regarding a child’s suitability for transplant are made by a paediatric transplant panel, a multidisciplinary committee that reviews each case individually. At this stage, consultations are ongoing to determine the safest and most appropriate clinical management.
“The child remains under close medical supervision and all care is guided by the best interests of the patient.”
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When consent is withheld
The department said parents must not withhold consent solely based on religious or other beliefs unless there is a medically accepted alternative available.
When consent is withheld, the clinical team must assess whether the decision aligns with the best interests of the child.
“If refusal places the child at significant risk and no medically accepted alternative exists, a clinician is expected to treat the child and the parents may approach the high court or the minister of health to stop the treatment.
“In this case, the child has not received blood products, despite presenting with symptomatic anaemia associated with renal failure. The condition was successfully stabilised using haematinics and the child continues to be closely monitored.”
Major surgical procedures, including liver transplants, differ because they may involve rapid blood loss, requiring immediate access to blood to preserve life in case some of the alternative methods are not effective, it stated.
No final decision on transplant listing
“No final decision has been made regarding transplant listing. Final determinations regarding transplant eligibility and procedural requirements rest with accredited specialist teams, including the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre.
“We remain fully engaged with the family and clinical teams to ensure that all treatment decisions are safe, medically appropriate, and in the child’s best interests,” the department says.
Jehovah’s Witness Mpumalanga spokesperson Kobus van der Merwe said: “We are unable to comment on the situation, since it is a private family matter.”
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