News / Regional
Inquest into pregnant teen's death set to begin
18 Apr 2016 at 07:15hrs | Views
A MAGISTRATE has ordered an investigation to be carried out to ascertain how a 14-year-old girl admitted to Kwekwe General Hospital died due to pregnancy-related complications. Gracious Banda died in October 2013 after the hospital allegedly failed to provide her with oxygen when she desperately needed it.
The teenager also could not undergo a scan as the hospital had a non-functional X-ray machine and could not get the recommended drugs as those in stock had expired.
Gracious developed labour pains and started bleeding through the nose and mouth before her death. Kwekwe General Hospital has been criticised for failing to transfer the girl to a bigger health institution as her condition worsened with no help in sight.
An inquest has since been opened following the girl's death with Kwekwe magistrate Letwin Rwodzi last week ordering hospital authorities to call specialists to probe her death.
She noted that Gracious could not get proper medication and could not also undergo a scan as required.
The magistrate queried why hospital authorities failed to transfer her to a bigger hospital in Gweru.
"Despite all these predicaments, Banda remained at Kwekwe General Hospital without being referred to Gweru Provincial Hospital until her condition became an emergency.
"All the time she was now bearing down with contractions and later fully dilated with increased respiratory distress," said Rwodzi.
The magistrate said although Banda's death was purely a maternal one, the circumstances around it required a probe.
"The court also established that at some point the deceased was being administered oxygen which at some stage ran out and they couldn't quickly secure another tank of oxygen when she was already in full labour and needed the oxygen.
"This was clearly a maternal case and her death was maternal. However, the cause of her death from the circumstances can't be clearly established and doubt remains as to whether it was natural or non-natural," said Rwodzi.
She said the hospital must engage specialists to investigate the death.
"The circumstances presented do force the court to recommend that it being a maternal death of a juvenile under unclear circumstances, there is a need for a team of specialists to investigate and come up with a report to ensure that there was no systematic neglect or whether there was insufficient action taken to prevent the death," said Rwodzi.
Banda was admitted to Kwekwe General Hospital on October 26, 2013, shortly after 8AM following an early labour induced hypertension and died two days later.
The teenager also could not undergo a scan as the hospital had a non-functional X-ray machine and could not get the recommended drugs as those in stock had expired.
Gracious developed labour pains and started bleeding through the nose and mouth before her death. Kwekwe General Hospital has been criticised for failing to transfer the girl to a bigger health institution as her condition worsened with no help in sight.
An inquest has since been opened following the girl's death with Kwekwe magistrate Letwin Rwodzi last week ordering hospital authorities to call specialists to probe her death.
She noted that Gracious could not get proper medication and could not also undergo a scan as required.
The magistrate queried why hospital authorities failed to transfer her to a bigger hospital in Gweru.
"Despite all these predicaments, Banda remained at Kwekwe General Hospital without being referred to Gweru Provincial Hospital until her condition became an emergency.
"All the time she was now bearing down with contractions and later fully dilated with increased respiratory distress," said Rwodzi.
The magistrate said although Banda's death was purely a maternal one, the circumstances around it required a probe.
"The court also established that at some point the deceased was being administered oxygen which at some stage ran out and they couldn't quickly secure another tank of oxygen when she was already in full labour and needed the oxygen.
"This was clearly a maternal case and her death was maternal. However, the cause of her death from the circumstances can't be clearly established and doubt remains as to whether it was natural or non-natural," said Rwodzi.
She said the hospital must engage specialists to investigate the death.
"The circumstances presented do force the court to recommend that it being a maternal death of a juvenile under unclear circumstances, there is a need for a team of specialists to investigate and come up with a report to ensure that there was no systematic neglect or whether there was insufficient action taken to prevent the death," said Rwodzi.
Banda was admitted to Kwekwe General Hospital on October 26, 2013, shortly after 8AM following an early labour induced hypertension and died two days later.
Source - chronicle
