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Women at the mercy of negligent health workers
2007-11-16 08:32:39
By Doris Kasote
`While I was pregnant I developed complications and by the time I was referred to the regional hospital, it was too late because my baby had died.
I returned to my village with even further complications due to negligence by health workers,` said Mama Eva Mnasi amid sobs.
This is the voice of many other women who have suffered at the hands of alleged negligence by health workers.
Mnasi, 46, who time and again had to take a break as she could not hold back her tears recalling the horrific experience, explained that seven years ago she was pregnant and when she went into labour she went to a medical centre at a village in Singida region where she resides.
She was then referred to the regional hospital since she was informed that her pregnancy had complications which only the experts at the regional hospital could attend to.
Mnasi who testified to a Popular Tribunal on Maternity and Morbidity issues in Tanzania, said at the regional hospital the nurses neglected her and told her she was just being lazy by not pushing hard enough.
`This was the second day that I was in labour yet the nurses at the regional hospital were humiliating me by saying I was being lazy by not pushing the baby hard enough. I tried to explain to them that I was referred from the clinic in Singida but was rebuked that I was not a doctor,` Mnasi explained as she took a drink of water to try and gain her strength to explain her ordeal.
By the time a specialist doctor was reporting to operate on her, it was too late as her baby had died; she also developed problems with her legs and fistula due to the operation that was allegedly not professionally done.
`Because of fistula, I am always at home and can not even go to church. However, there has been an improvement after my visit to a hospital in Moshi,` she said.
A legal officer from Women Legal Aid Centre who attended the Tribunal, Safina Hassan, citing a case of a man who lost his pregnant wife due to negligence, argued that the duty of doctors` care towards patients in all medical practices was well provided under the Guidelines and Values of Medical Ethics monitored by the Tanzania Medical Council established under the law of Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act.
The case study was on the African Youth Development Executive Chairperson Kitwana Kasanzu who lost his wife last year in May.
His wife was allegedly given a strong dose of tablets at Magomeni Government Hospital without details of what the medication really was and developed a serious health problem after taking them.
Even after she was rushed back to the hospital due to the problem that developed, the hospital insisted she continues taking the same drug.
She later collapsed She was then taken to another government hospital, Amana, where an intravenous solution was prescribed but the hospital had none.
When relatives bought one, it could not be administered because there was blackout and the hospital`s standby generator refused to function.
Ms Hassan stated that after her study, she concluded that the medical doctors and the government committed the Tort of Negligence.
She said that relatives of the deceased have filed a legal suit against the government to claim for compensation.
If not successful, she advised that the family could seek redress to the International Human Rights law through international, regional and national bodies.
During discussions health workers were strongly criticized by participants at the workshop who argued that their profession was a noble one which should be executed whole heartedly instead of playing with people`s lives.
Temeke Hospital Board Member, Specioza Mwakima, said the problem in many hospitals was insufficient funding.
She pointed out that Temeke hospital was not well equipped and government had not responded favourably to the proposed budget due to other commitments.
A panel of magistrates which included Principal Resident Magistrate Addy Nyambo Lyamuya and Resident Magistrate Katherine Nkomo challenged government to allocate more funding to the health sector.
The panel also submitted that more tribunals of that nature should be set up to make public the unfair treatment that people are subjected to.
It was also a challenge to the judiciary and NGOs to assist women and children take legal action against alleged perpetrators in the health sector.
The Tribunal which runs for three days from the November 6 to November 8 was organized by Women`s Dignity in collaboration with other Non Governmental Organizations.
The Tribunal will also look at the abuse of house maids and gender based violence.
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