By George Sanzila
KATIMA MULILO – Suspected negligence on the part of both the mother and a nurse at the maternity ward of the Katima Mulilo general hospital led to the death of a new-born baby.
Although details remain sketchy, as nurses were unwilling to talk, sources have revealed that the infant, who was a twin born last week on Tuesday, was apparently fed hot milk and the feeding bottle was improperly placed into the baby’s mouth resulting in the baby choking to death in the presence of both the nurse and the mother
The milk provided was part of the ministry’s assistance programme intended to sustain poor mothers who give birth to more than one child.
Upon learning the baby had passed on, an argument reportedly erupted between the mother and the unidentified nurse over who should take blame for the baby’s death.
Gripped with fear, the seemingly confused mother fled the hospital on Monday evening and she has not been found since. When this reporter visited the maternity ward on Tuesday nurses were reluctant to provide information on the incident. The other twin is said to be fine and under the care of nurses. The mother is suspected to suffer from a mental disorder. The distraught father, Alex Shwena, a resident of Sangwali village some 130 kilometres west of Katima Mulilo could not believe what happened and vowed to open a criminal case with the police to invetigate the death. “I just got the news that one of the babies has died when I was coming to visit my wife in the ward. I understand there was an argument over who killed the baby between my wife and the nurse after feeding him with hot milk,” he stated. According to Shwena, nurses were told about his wife’s condition when she was admitted in the maternity ward last week Tuesday.
“I cannot understand how my baby died. They are saying the baby was suffocated by milk but how could that happen in the presence of the mother and the nurse. The nurses were told about the (mental) condition of my wife,” noted Shwena. Shwena, who is yet to open a criminal case with the police, was sceptical on whether the blame should be placed on the shoulders of his wife.
“I understand she fled the hospital after getting into an argument with the nurse. I haven’t spoken to her since. I will open a criminal case with the police so that the law could take its course,” he said.
Shwena was in the waiting area of the maternity ward to both arrange for the issuance of a death certificate and meet hospital staff over the issue. Chief medical officer, Dr Noel Siame, currently the acting regional health director, who appeared reluctant to give any information could neither confirm nor deny the incident.
“I haven’t been informed about that one. I need to find out first. I cannot provide information if I don’t know what exactly transpired. It will be difficult for me to give information,” noted Siame. A source at the Katima Mulilo mortuary said no baby corpse was received as of Monday, further adding to the mystery surrounding the incident.