Woman who carried dead baby for two days sues state
Amid an increase in reported cases of medical negligence in recent months, a woman has sued the health ministry for N$2 million in damages after she was allegedly left without treatment for two days as her dead baby decomposed in her womb.
In Malensia Mukuua's lawsuit, which was heard yesterday in the Windhoek High Court, the case was scheduled for a status hearing before Judge Eileen Rakow.
According to Mukuua's particulars of claim, she was unemployed at the time of her pregnancy and lived in Grootfontein.
“On 25 July 2023, I went for a routine check-up at the Grootfontein State Hospital. During the check-up, I said that I had previously given birth via an emergency caesarean section and that I suffer from high blood pressure," court documents read.
After the examination in July, she went for another in early August. Mukuua, then 38 weeks pregnant, complained of severe pain during the hospital visit. According to her, she was examined by medical staff, but did not receive proper treatment.
Feared losing baby
The next day, Mukuua reportedly completed and signed a consent form for an elective C-section and bilateral tubal ligation - commonly referred to as ‘having your tubes tied’, so as not to conceive further children - to be performed.
She feared losing her baby, Mukuua said. The procedures were set to be performed by an obstetrician and gynaecologist.
As the pain had still not subsided, she reportedly demanded to be admitted on 14 August 2023. This after she told medical staff that she had already been experiencing severe pain for five days, she said in court documents.
"I was admitted around 17:00 that day and spent the next two days in pain with little assistance and medical care. Finally, on 16 August 2023, the medical staff checked on me and found no foetal heartbeat and no foetal movement."
‘Horrible smell’
Medical staff confirmed that her unborn baby had died.
Despite this confirmation on 16 August 2023, the hospital's staff reportedly failed to attend to Mukuua for two more days.
She was only taken to theatre on 18 August 2023 for a C-section to remove the dead baby, which had already started giving off a horrible smell, Mukuua said. This after she apparently had to ‘threaten’ and ‘beg’ medical staff for help.
Because the baby had already started to decompose inside her body, Mukuua was prescribed antibiotics to prevent an infection.
The ministry has not yet submitted its statements in response to the claims.
In Malensia Mukuua's lawsuit, which was heard yesterday in the Windhoek High Court, the case was scheduled for a status hearing before Judge Eileen Rakow.
According to Mukuua's particulars of claim, she was unemployed at the time of her pregnancy and lived in Grootfontein.
“On 25 July 2023, I went for a routine check-up at the Grootfontein State Hospital. During the check-up, I said that I had previously given birth via an emergency caesarean section and that I suffer from high blood pressure," court documents read.
After the examination in July, she went for another in early August. Mukuua, then 38 weeks pregnant, complained of severe pain during the hospital visit. According to her, she was examined by medical staff, but did not receive proper treatment.
Feared losing baby
The next day, Mukuua reportedly completed and signed a consent form for an elective C-section and bilateral tubal ligation - commonly referred to as ‘having your tubes tied’, so as not to conceive further children - to be performed.
She feared losing her baby, Mukuua said. The procedures were set to be performed by an obstetrician and gynaecologist.
As the pain had still not subsided, she reportedly demanded to be admitted on 14 August 2023. This after she told medical staff that she had already been experiencing severe pain for five days, she said in court documents.
"I was admitted around 17:00 that day and spent the next two days in pain with little assistance and medical care. Finally, on 16 August 2023, the medical staff checked on me and found no foetal heartbeat and no foetal movement."
‘Horrible smell’
Medical staff confirmed that her unborn baby had died.
Despite this confirmation on 16 August 2023, the hospital's staff reportedly failed to attend to Mukuua for two more days.
She was only taken to theatre on 18 August 2023 for a C-section to remove the dead baby, which had already started giving off a horrible smell, Mukuua said. This after she apparently had to ‘threaten’ and ‘beg’ medical staff for help.
Because the baby had already started to decompose inside her body, Mukuua was prescribed antibiotics to prevent an infection.
The ministry has not yet submitted its statements in response to the claims.
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