‘Wombless’ woman sues health ministry
Demands N$3.85m in damages
An operation that has left a woman "in pain and infertile" was performed to save her life, according to court papers.
A woman is suing the health ministry for N$3.85 million after her womb was surgically removed, reportedly without her consent.
Mother-of-three Amalia Festus said medical staff at the Windhoek Central Hospital removed her womb in December 2017 after an infection following an emergency caesarean section. She claimed that medical staff at the hospital told her she had a “rotten womb”, which was then removed following complaints of abdominal, neck and back pain, as well as vomiting.
According to Festus' particulars of claim, when she was seven months pregnant, she went to the Katutura State Hospital seeking medical attention for back and lower abdominal pain. Following a vaginal examination, it was determined that she was eight or nine centimetres dilated. She was subsequently admitted and informed that emergency surgery would have to be performed to deliver the baby. However, she was not informed of the outcome after the operation, she said.
In pain and infertile
After the surgery, Festus was kept in hospital for four days and administered pills she allegedly could not identify. She was discharged on 16 December, but stayed on as her baby was still in the hospital's care.
The next day, she allegedly experienced sharp pains and vomiting, leading her to turn to Windhoek Central Hospital for further care. There, a doctor informed her that she had an infection and would need antibiotics for five days. However, staff later discovered she was not responding to the medication, leading to the removal of her womb without her consent.
The operation, she said, left her in pain and infertile.
Festus alleged that this operation was unlawful and unauthorised as the staff never asked for permission from her or her family to proceed. Furthermore, no explanation was afforded to her regarding the matter.
Severe sepsis
According to court documents, Dr Josef Mufenda, a medical officer specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, said Festus presented with symptoms that included not having had a bowel movement since her c-section five days prior, abdominal pain around the umbilical area, two episodes of vomiting, fever and chills.
"The day [she] was admitted to my ward, I examined her thoroughly during my rounds. This included using an ultrasound to check her uterus. She seemed quite unwell and her heart rate was fast at 110 beats per minute. Her abdomen was mostly soft, but there was tenderness around her uterus. The caesarean section wound looked clean and well cared for," he said.
The doctor elaborated that he planned to administer three types of antibiotics to Festus for 45 hours. If there was no improvement in her condition within 48 hours, they would discuss the possibility of performing an exploratory laparotomy. This procedure might also involve removing her uterus in a surgery known as a total abdominal hysterectomy.
He concluded that Festus faced complications from her c-section, including severe sepsis with a mortality rate of over 30%. Despite receiving strong antibiotics and ample time, her condition worsened due to persistent bowel dysfunction, court documents read.
The procedures performed - an exploratory laparotomy and total abdominal hysterectomy - were crucial in preventing septic shock and saving her life, Mufenda claimed.
Mother-of-three Amalia Festus said medical staff at the Windhoek Central Hospital removed her womb in December 2017 after an infection following an emergency caesarean section. She claimed that medical staff at the hospital told her she had a “rotten womb”, which was then removed following complaints of abdominal, neck and back pain, as well as vomiting.
According to Festus' particulars of claim, when she was seven months pregnant, she went to the Katutura State Hospital seeking medical attention for back and lower abdominal pain. Following a vaginal examination, it was determined that she was eight or nine centimetres dilated. She was subsequently admitted and informed that emergency surgery would have to be performed to deliver the baby. However, she was not informed of the outcome after the operation, she said.
In pain and infertile
After the surgery, Festus was kept in hospital for four days and administered pills she allegedly could not identify. She was discharged on 16 December, but stayed on as her baby was still in the hospital's care.
The next day, she allegedly experienced sharp pains and vomiting, leading her to turn to Windhoek Central Hospital for further care. There, a doctor informed her that she had an infection and would need antibiotics for five days. However, staff later discovered she was not responding to the medication, leading to the removal of her womb without her consent.
The operation, she said, left her in pain and infertile.
Festus alleged that this operation was unlawful and unauthorised as the staff never asked for permission from her or her family to proceed. Furthermore, no explanation was afforded to her regarding the matter.
Severe sepsis
According to court documents, Dr Josef Mufenda, a medical officer specialising in obstetrics and gynaecology, said Festus presented with symptoms that included not having had a bowel movement since her c-section five days prior, abdominal pain around the umbilical area, two episodes of vomiting, fever and chills.
"The day [she] was admitted to my ward, I examined her thoroughly during my rounds. This included using an ultrasound to check her uterus. She seemed quite unwell and her heart rate was fast at 110 beats per minute. Her abdomen was mostly soft, but there was tenderness around her uterus. The caesarean section wound looked clean and well cared for," he said.
The doctor elaborated that he planned to administer three types of antibiotics to Festus for 45 hours. If there was no improvement in her condition within 48 hours, they would discuss the possibility of performing an exploratory laparotomy. This procedure might also involve removing her uterus in a surgery known as a total abdominal hysterectomy.
He concluded that Festus faced complications from her c-section, including severe sepsis with a mortality rate of over 30%. Despite receiving strong antibiotics and ample time, her condition worsened due to persistent bowel dysfunction, court documents read.
The procedures performed - an exploratory laparotomy and total abdominal hysterectomy - were crucial in preventing septic shock and saving her life, Mufenda claimed.
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