Mpilo Hospital staff as they save 90 people with gruesome stab wounds

THE festive season was a nightmare for healthcare workers at Mpilo Central Hospital who had to rope in external help from specialists to save the lives of attempted murder victims.

A staggering 90 penetrating trauma cases were recorded from Christmas Eve to January 2 and staffers had a torrid time saving people who had been attacked with machetes, knives, axes, spears, stones, and knobkerries.

Penetrating trauma occurs when a foreign object pierces the skin and enters the body creating a wound and this includes stabbing with a spear, knife, or cutting of the skin with a machete.

The festive season is associated with an increase in crime and it comes with a lot of merry-making.

Of all the days, New Year had the highest number of penetrating traumas, at 39 and a majority of these were recorded from Nkayi, Tsholotsho, and Inyathi.