Well known former Bafana Bafana coach, Ephraim “Shakes” Mashaba is recuperating well in hospital.
Mashaba was admitted to Helen Joseph hospital in Johannesburg on Wednesday for a suspected bladder infection. He had been unable to urinate for a while.
Insiders say at some point, he was discharged only to return on Friday.
The well-travelled coach found himself in a sticky situation in a public hospital as he could not afford private health care due to financial constraints.
The 74-year-old was admitted with urinary problem
Insiders at Helen Joseph told Sunday World that his wife made plans for the 74-year-old to be admitted to the high care of the hospital.
It is believed the bladder had been troubling him for some time.
A hospital employee privy to the matter told Sunday World that the celebrated coach was brought into the ward in a wheelchair.
“When Shakes arrived here, we had to arrange a wheelchair because he could not walk. His wife was frantic and upon recognising who he was, we gathered around him to protect him from prying eyes. Nurses and medical doctors made sure that they leave everything to attend to him,” said a nurse at the hospital.
Another medical practitioner said that when he rocked up at the hospital, Mashaba was in a bad condition.
After a nap, he was better
“We had to put him on a drip so that he could regain his strength. When he woke up from a nap later, he seemed a lot better. He had a urinary problem – he couldn’t pee at all. We are glad that we managed to stabilise him. He can now stand up on his own and speak to us. We are grateful that we managed to assist him. Remember this old man is a national treasure. He is the legend and we had to do whatever we could to save his life,” said another nurse.
Another medical practitioner was concerned Mashaba had ended up in a public hospital.
“What is strange about this whole thing is that nobody comes here to visit him except for this woman, we think is his wife. His admission was kept secret based on his status. I am praying that there could be good Samaritans out there who can come and take him to a better healthcare facility, not a public hospital. He is a good person who is very reserved and he deserves better,” said a source.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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