Woman, her newborn die after bleeding for 6hrs as ‘we don’t work on weekend’ nurses stay away from hospital despite being called

By , K24 Digital
On Tue, 2 Jun, 2020 13:11 | 2 mins read
After bleeding non-stop for six hours, the new mother died at around 4pm Sunday, so did her newborn daughter. [PHOTO | COURTESY]
After bleeding non-stop for six hours, the new mother died at around 4pm Sunday, so did her newborn daughter. [PHOTO | COURTESY]
After bleeding non-stop for six hours, the new mother died at around 4pm Sunday, so did her newborn daughter. [PHOTO | COURTESY]

By Dolphas Ochola

A medical facility in Migori County is hogging media headlines for the wrong reasons after a pregnant woman bled to death at the dispensary shortly after giving birth because “there were no healthcare workers to attend to her”.

Maureen Akoth, a resident of Kanyadera Village in Suna North Location, Migori County went into labour on Sunday morning (May 31) while at home.

She was rushed to the nearby government-run Nyarongi Dispensary by her eldest daughter, Sharon Atieno, and Akoth’s co-wife. The journey to hospital took 20 minutes.

Upon arriving at the health facility, she was taken to the labour ward by one of the hospital’s non-medical staff.

As 34-year-old Akoth writhed in pain, and wished she would give birth the next minute, the two non-medical staff members who were present could only look on helplessly with teary eyes.

Attempts to call the dispensary’s nurses to come and attend to Akoth bore no fruit, as the healthcare providers allegedly said they “don’t work on weekends”.

One of the two non-medical caregivers, a cleaner, decided to help Akoth give birth. Her (cleaner’s) attempt was successful, only that the new mother was now bleeding profusely. Subsequent calls to nurses, again, failed to yield a desired outcome.

After bleeding non-stop for six hours, the new mother died at around 4pm Sunday, so did her newborn daughter.

Akoth’s uncle, Tom Odhiambo, told K24 Digital that the conduct of the facility’s nurses smacked of “highest level of negligence in an extremely delicate and essential profession”.

John Okeyo, another of Akoth’s relative, said when he arrived at the dispensary minutes to 4pm, he found the new mother crawling on the maternity ward floor while blood was dripping from her private parts.

One of the facility’s nurses arrived at 5pm, and on realising that Akoth had already died, she went straight to the staff houses, fearing being confronted by the deceased’s relatives.

News of the 34-year-old woman’s death sparked uproar among local residents, who stormed the facility, demanding answers from the dispensary’s top administration.

Some of the locals, who spoke to K24 Digital, said it was high time the healthcare workers’ habit of “absconding duties on Saturdays and Sundays” be called out.

“They usually close the dispensary on Fridays and resume duties on Mondays,” said Serfin Samba, a resident of Suna North.

“[Health CS] Mutahi Kagwe and the County minister for Health should deploy serious and professional healthcare givers to this hospital,” added another resident.

Migori County Health CEC, Dr. Dalmas Oyugi, said what happened at Nyarongi Dispensary was unfortunate, and that “it was one of the bad incidents ruining the many good deeds done by the hospital workers”.

Dr. Oyugi ruled out “negligence” as one of the causes of Akoth’s death.

The deceased and her newborn were buried on Tuesday morning (June 2) after being preserved at a Migori morgue on Sunday and Monday.