Child (3) dies after nurse dips her in hot water for soiling self

IN a horrific incident, a three-year-old child with disabilities died at Filabusi Hospital in Matabeleland South Province after a nurse allegedly dipped her in a basin filled with hot water after she had soiled herself.

The child, Rejoice Kateya, died two days after the shocking incident, which saw her sustaining extensive burns on her "lower extremities" after Tholiwe Moyo, a Registered Nurse who was administered to bath her, allegedly placed her in a basin filled with hot water.

According to a postmortem report, the child died as a result of scalding.

Meanwhile, at the time of her death, Rejoice was being looked after by nurses at Filabusi Hospital where she had been taken to after she was found dumped by her parents.

For the alleged inhuman act, Moyo of Datata Village, Matshesheni, Gwanda, is now being charged with murder and her case was on Wednesday indicted by Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa to the High Court for trial.

She was remanded in custody.

Circumstances are that on an unknown date but sometime in 2007, the deceased who has disabilities was dumped by her parents and was taken to Filabusi Hospital where she was being looked after.

It is reported that on 15 February 2008 at around 4pm, the accused was on duty when the deceased reportedly soiled herself and according to court documents, it was the accused's duty to clean her.

It is alleged that for reasons Moyo is yet to reveal before the court during her trial, she placed hot water in the basin where she immediately placed the child with an intention of bathing her. The temperature of the water was reportedly very high and the helpless baby cried during the entire time she was in the basin.

As a result she sustained severe burns on her buttocks and lower limbs.

However, in her warned and cautioned statement which she initially admitted to have committed the callous act, Moyo stated that on the day in question there was no cold water at the hospital.

"I do admit to the charge of scalding Rejoice Kateya. I poured hot water in the bathing basin to bath her after she had soiled herself. There was no cold water at the hospital except the water in the geyser. I was putting on gloves on my hands and I placed them in the water and I felt as if the water was warm yet the water was hot. I lifted and placed her in the basin and she cried. When I removed her I realised that she had been burnt on the legs and buttocks," the warned and cautioned statement reads in part. Investigations by the police later led to the arrest of Moyo.