Pregnant woman spent 24 hrs with baby's head stuck between her legs, nurses too busy to attend to her

AN EXPECTING mum spent 24 hours with her baby's head between her legs - because nurses were too busy to attend to her, a court heard.

Tamani Ncube of Nkulumane 11 eventually lost her baby and had her womb removed after a "traumatising" experience, the Bulawayo High Court was told.

Ncube, a mother of one, is now suing Nkulumane Clinic and Mpilo Hospital, accusing staff there of negligence over the November 27, 2012 incident.

She told Justice Lawrence Kamocha she feared staff at the two health institutions would try and alter her medical records after they refused to hand them over.

The judge ordered the Deputy Sheriff to make available files and documents about Ncube from the two health institutions and deliver them to the Assistant Registrar for safe keeping.

Ncube says in an affidavit that she was rushed to Nkulumane Clinic at about 2am on November 27 last year. She was in labour until 7am after she became weak and could not push the baby ' whose head was already out.

Ncube told the court that nurses at the clinic recommended her transfer to Mpilo Central Hospital but she spent 30 minutes waiting for an ambulance.

She said when she got to Mpilo, two doctors confirmed that the baby was still alive and she was wheeled to the theatre where she was made to wait in the queue because there was another patient being attended to.

"The baby's head was still hanging between my legs as I lay waiting to go to theatre. When the theatre was free, I was once again told that there were no gloves and had to wait for 30 more minutes, only to be told that there were no needles for stitching," she says.

She said by the time all the required equipment was in place, it was already 1pm and nurses left her unattended in the theatre as they went for lunch.

Ncube said she ended up losing consciousness due to the pain.
"When I woke up later, I asked a nurse who was passing by to give me anything that could ease pain but she told me to wait for the doctor. I lost consciousness again and only woke up the next morning (November 28) when I asked for my baby and was told that it had died," Ncube said.

She accused Mpilo staff of being "inhumane and insensitive" for putting her in the same room with new mothers for some hours.
"This was traumatising to say the least as it reminded me of losing my baby. They then took me for an operation and removed my womb saying it had been extensively damaged due to complications. I no longer have a womb and can no longer bear a child," said Ncube.
She said her experience also affected her bladder and she spent some months urinating through a tube into a plastic bag which she would carry everywhere.

Ncube said she had to date, been in and out of the hospital on several occasions for different tests but would be discharged without being attended to despite having paid.

"I don't know when and how my ordeal will end. I am convinced that my condition is like this because of negligence of the respondents," she adds.

"I lost my baby, I have lost the capacity to bear children, my health condition has deteriorated dramatically and I have suffered financially. I am even failing to pay $300 needed by the same hospital (Mpilo)."

Ncube is suing the sister-in-charge of Nkulumane Clinic, the director of Health Service for Bulawayo City Council, Dr Zanele Hwalima, the chief executive officer of Mpilo Central Hospital, Dr Lawrence Mantiziba and the Ministry of Health and Child Care for negligence.
She also cited the Deputy Sheriff in Bulawayo and the Assistant Registrar of the High Court as 5th and 6th respondents.

Ncube sought confirmation of the final draft order before a different judge at the Motion Court yesterday but Justice Nokuthula Moyo removed the matter from the roll, saying the draft was defective.
It will be set down on a later date.