Mother wins N$500 000 lawsuit over daughter's death
A woman who claimed her daughter's death was the result of the negligence of state medical staff has reached a N$500 000 settlement with the health ministry.
Renate Ndjahera initially sued the ministry for N$1.9 million in damages after her daughter died in January 2020.
Ndjahera argued in court papers that she took her daughter, Vazemba Kavetutjo, to Wanaheda Clinic in June 2019 because her stomach hurt and she was bleeding.
Kavetutjo was transferred to Windhoek Central Hospital and was informed four days later that she had been four months pregnant and had lost the foetus. She was subsequently diagnosed with an infection of the uterus and underwent emergency surgery.
In and out of hospital
According to Ndjahera, her daughter was discharged four days later, although her condition had not improved. She had to report back to the hospital two weeks later for a birth control implant in her arm. The implant was done, and Kavetutjo continued to bleed for months after, according to her mother. She also experienced immense pain and was "in and out of hospital".
On 8 November, she went to the government hospital at Omaruru for help with vaginal bleeding, back pain and lower abdominal pain.
Days later, she was admitted to the Katutura State Hospital, where she had to undergo an appendectomy as well as the removal of an old hematoma.
The latter is a pool of mostly congealed blood that forms in an organ, tissue or space in the body. It is usually caused by a broken blood vessel that has been damaged by surgery or an injury.
A week later, she was discharged, but according to Ndjahera, she was readmitted on 6 December. Later that month, lab tests on the hematoma showed she had endometrial stromal sarcoma, in which tumours begin to develop in the supportive connective tissue (stroma) of the lining of the uterus.
On 11 January 2020, Kavetutjo died of kidney failure as a result of the endometrial stromal sarcoma.
Pain and suffering
Ndjahera argued in her case against the ministry that her daughter's death can be directly linked to the medical staff's negligence in that they initially diagnosed and treated her incorrectly.
"The delay in treating the hematoma, which led to a host of medical problems and complications, including the sarcoma and kidney failure, led to her death," court documents stated.
She demanded N$1 million for the pain and suffering she had to endure and N$400 000 for the inconvenience and discomfort the situation caused, as well as an additional N$500 000 for medical expenses.
The ministry agreed to pay Ndjahera N$500 000, and each party will bear their own legal costs.
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Renate Ndjahera initially sued the ministry for N$1.9 million in damages after her daughter died in January 2020.
Ndjahera argued in court papers that she took her daughter, Vazemba Kavetutjo, to Wanaheda Clinic in June 2019 because her stomach hurt and she was bleeding.
Kavetutjo was transferred to Windhoek Central Hospital and was informed four days later that she had been four months pregnant and had lost the foetus. She was subsequently diagnosed with an infection of the uterus and underwent emergency surgery.
In and out of hospital
According to Ndjahera, her daughter was discharged four days later, although her condition had not improved. She had to report back to the hospital two weeks later for a birth control implant in her arm. The implant was done, and Kavetutjo continued to bleed for months after, according to her mother. She also experienced immense pain and was "in and out of hospital".
On 8 November, she went to the government hospital at Omaruru for help with vaginal bleeding, back pain and lower abdominal pain.
Days later, she was admitted to the Katutura State Hospital, where she had to undergo an appendectomy as well as the removal of an old hematoma.
The latter is a pool of mostly congealed blood that forms in an organ, tissue or space in the body. It is usually caused by a broken blood vessel that has been damaged by surgery or an injury.
A week later, she was discharged, but according to Ndjahera, she was readmitted on 6 December. Later that month, lab tests on the hematoma showed she had endometrial stromal sarcoma, in which tumours begin to develop in the supportive connective tissue (stroma) of the lining of the uterus.
On 11 January 2020, Kavetutjo died of kidney failure as a result of the endometrial stromal sarcoma.
Pain and suffering
Ndjahera argued in her case against the ministry that her daughter's death can be directly linked to the medical staff's negligence in that they initially diagnosed and treated her incorrectly.
"The delay in treating the hematoma, which led to a host of medical problems and complications, including the sarcoma and kidney failure, led to her death," court documents stated.
She demanded N$1 million for the pain and suffering she had to endure and N$400 000 for the inconvenience and discomfort the situation caused, as well as an additional N$500 000 for medical expenses.
The ministry agreed to pay Ndjahera N$500 000, and each party will bear their own legal costs.
[email protected]
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