A woman is insisting in court she almost died because doctors misdiagnosed her.

Just five days after she went to hospital complaining of back pain and sent home with painkillers, she was rushed back unconscious, had to be operated upon immediately and placed on the danger list.

It emerged that her body went into septic shock after a fierce infection spread, Lojin Brijieh, a 20-year-old Indian national who lives in San Ġwann, said in a judicial protest she filed yesterday against Saint James Capua Hospital, Mater Dei Hospital and Health Minister Konrad Mizzi.

She is demanding compensation, arguing that she had been “negligently misdiagnosed” and holding the hospital and the minister responsible for any future complications. She insisted that the situation could have easily been avoided by the administration of the correct medicine had she been examined “diligently and correctly”.

Her ordeal began last October 8 when she went to Mater Dei Hospital suffering from back pain. Fed up of waiting, given the unbearable pain, she went to Saint James Capua Hospital.

She said that, after being examined by a doctor and X-rayed, the doctor sent her home, telling her to take Catafast, a painkiller. Five days later, however, the pain intensified, so she went to Mater Dei where she was examined by four doctors at the Emergency Department. She was sent home after having been diagnosed with muscle spasm.

The following day, the situation worsened and Ms Brijieh said she was transported to hospital by ambulance, arriving there unconscious. She was operated upon immediately and placed on the danger list because of a septic shock – a life-threatening infection normally caused by bacteria. She had to be operated upon twice.

Through her lawyer Stefano Filletti, she argued that had she been properly diagnosed and given the correct medicine to counter the infection, the situation could have been easily avoided.

She said she was still suffering from complications and had to undergo further surgical interventions. Dr Filletti said an official legal letter was sent to Saint James and Mater Dei hospitals as well as to Dr Mizzi but no reply was forthcoming. In it, he asked for the medical file and for an explanation on this misdiagnosis.

Ms Brijieh is threatening to take further action if need be.