Negligent doctor suspended, undergoes retraining

A BULAWAYO doctor found guilty of negligently causing the death of a new born baby has been placed on suspension and is undergoing retraining after being stopped from practising obstetrics and gynaecology for a year.

Dr Arnold Nyamande from Marondera Poly Clinic in Mzilikazi suburb was last month ordered to pay $8 000 after he was slapped with a lawsuit by a family that lost a new born baby at his surgery.

The Medical and Dental Practitioners Council of Zimbabwe told The Chronicle on Friday that it had also taken action against Dr Nyamande after it found him guilty of negligence.

Dr Nyamande allegedly referred the new born baby and his mother in an unregistered taxi to Mpilo Central Hospital from his surgery due to severe complications as a result of his unethical practice.

When the incident occurred last year, his surgery did not have enough oxygen. Hospital records show that the baby was admitted to the neo-natal intensive unit at Mpilo Central Hospital due to severe asphyxia and later died.

In an emailed response to The Chronicle, Medical and Dental Association registrar, Mrs Josephine Mwakutuya, said the doctor had been disciplined.

"Dr Nyamande was ordered by the Council to undertake retraining at a Central Hospital in the department of paedriatrics and department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology for a period of 12 months with six monthly reports submitted to The Council. He was also suspended from practising obstetrics and gynaecology work," said Mrs Mwakutuya.

She said the council monitors medical practitioners.

"Council does monitor medical and dental practitioners who fall under our register by enforcing investigative inspection of practice when deemed necessary and also through what we call Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programmes organised by their respective accreditor bodies (professional associations)," Mrs Mwakutuya said.

She said in 2017, the council did not deregister any practitioner.

Bulawayo magistrate Ms Nyaradzo Ringisai in a default judgment ordered Dr Nyamande to pay the baby's family a total of $8 000 for the loss of life caused by his negligence.

According to court records, on February 14 last year, the late baby's father, Mr Champion Kudiwa, took his expecting wife Esther Shamiso Kudiwa to Dr Nyamande's surgery to deliver.

"The baby was delivered but developed severe complications due to unethical practice by the defendant who on realising his errors referred my wife and newborn to Mpilo Hospital in an unregistered pirate taxi instead of an ambulance equipped with critical pre-hospital equipment," read the summons.

Mr Kudiwa said the clinic did not have oxygen on that particular day which caused serious distress to the baby leading to severe complications.

"Defendant earlier on refused plaintiff to witness birth of his baby as encouraged by the Government of Zimbabwe in an apparent attempt to cover up his shortcomings and unethical conduct. Due to poor handling as referred above, the baby passed away on March 2, 2017" read the summons.

Mr Kudiwa approached the regulatory council and Dr Nyamande was found guilty of unethical conduct after a disciplinary hearing held on November 10, 2017.

In an interview, Mr Kudiwa said what irked him most was that after referring them to Mpilo Central Hospital, Dr Nyamande never followed up on his patients.

"Even when our baby passed away he did not communicate with us to show remorse for his errors. I tried to engage him afterwards but he was not co-operative. I wrote him a letter of demand which I also copied to the Medical Council and he did not respond to it which then prompted me to approach the courts," he said.