Senior nurse to perform community service

A Karoi magistrate last week ordered a senior nurse at Karoi District Hospital to perform 280 hours of community service after convicting him of criminal abuse of duty as a public officer.

Magistrate Mr Obidience Matare initially sentenced Albert Mavhiya (50) to 14 months imprisonment before conditionally suspending six months for the next five years.

The remaining eight months were further suspended on condition that Mavhiya performed 280 hrs of community service at ZRP Karoi Camp Clinic commencing last Thursday.

Mavhiya's charge arose on December 8 last year when he was on night duty.

Established facts are that at around 2 am that day Monica Chumbu who was in the company of Bonjisi Chumbu visited the institution for treatment but after assessing Monica's condition, Mavhiya lied that the drugs that needed to be administered to her were out of stock.

Mavhiya told the pair that although the drugs were unavailable at the hospital he had such drugs at his home which he could avail at a cost of US$20.

Bonjisi who had only US$10 begged  Mavhiya to accept it as part-payment while he would bring the outstanding US$10 later in the day.

Mavhiya accepted the money but went into one of the rooms at the hospital from which he emerged with the three drugs which he administered on Monica.

Later that day Bonjisi notified one Ngonidzashe Nduna about the incident.

Nduna then visited the hospital and left the outstanding balance of US$10 at the hospital reception before he also formally lodged a complaint to the hospital authorities about Mavhiya's misconduct.

Investigations later revealed that the drugs purported as out of stock by Mavhiya were available at the hospital on the particular day and cost a total of US$7.