Aletta Shikololo
The ministry of health has given its side of the story about the delayed operation of a pregnant mother, whose baby died in the stomach last week.
On Friday, New Era reported about 28-year-old Rauna Nepolo, who was admitted to the Windhoek Central Hospital last Wednesday due to an intrauterine foetal death (IUFD). She was only attended to on Friday evening after the paper posted a video of the mother on social media.
Nepolo, who was seven months pregnant, told this reporter that she was informed by the doctor that her baby died, but that they could only attend to her after they were done with emergency operations.
“It is traumatising to be carrying a dead baby for days, with no operation or assistance. They said they are first attending to emergencies, but this is also a matter of urgency. It has affected me mentally and psychologically,” said Nepolo at the time when she was not yet operated on.
In their defence, the ministry, through spokesperson Walters Kamaya on Monday told New Era that when Nepolo visited the hospital, her baby was already dead, and she was subjected to an elective operation and counselling.
Elective operation/surgery allows doctors to work with a patient to improve their overall health before the procedure.
“We have learned that Nepolo has already gone through numerous operations, hence the process was not done immediately. She has also gone through counselling before and after the operation. All the procedures were explained to her, but I think she just panicked. It is normal for a pregnant woman to carry a dead baby for a few days before it is removed,” he added.
A Namibian doctor who works at Tygerberg Hospital in Cape Town, Esmerelda Louw, explained that when a patient is having an IUFD, they are often induced (given medication to ripen the cervix so that they can be able to expel the foetus).
“This can take up to three days or even more. The procedure can be traumatising to the mother, hence they always go through counselling before induction or an operation. Healthcare workers are doing the most, and the least patients can do is to be patient. It can be quite difficult for the patients, but it is just protocol,” said Louw.
“Imagine being operated on and going home with a scar and pain that she will endure for life. Therefore, not every patient is rushed to be operated on,” she continued.
– ashikololo@nepc.com.na