A candidate in this year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination has died hours after giving birth over what is alleged to be negligence on the part of health care workers.
Velma Ochieng who was supposed to sit for her KCSE examination from this week at Nyajanja Mixed Secondary School in Kochia ward, is said to have undergone a successful operation on Monday around 3.am She was taken to hospital with her newborn, but she died within minutes of complaining of lower stomach discomfort.
According to family sources, the doctors had given Velma painkillers to relieve her of the pain which however did not subside and she succumbed afterwards.
It is reported that the 19-year-old who gave birth to a baby boy had shown signs of labor on Saturday, 26 of November, and was ferried on a motorcycle to Homa Bay County Referral hospital and admitted in the maternity ward.
Selah Yago, her aunt, claimed Velma was in intense pain. However, the hospital took too long to admit Velma to the theatre for a Cesarean section.
“She assured me that she would go by herself to the hospital on that day as she felt that she was due. Velma was not taken to the theatre even after I pleaded with the doctors to do so,” she said.
Yago regretted the pain her niece went through up to Sunday, when the doctors decided to rush her to CS because she couldn’t give birth normally.
“I wish they could have taken Velma to the theatre early because I knew she could not give birth the normal way because of her age. She was very tired by the time she was taken for the operation,” decried Yago.
The C-section was successful according to the doctors’ report and she was taken back to the recovery ward. However, she died soon after.
Her family now blames the medics, claiming that they were negligent and not dedicated to their work while caring for their kin, leading to her untimely passing.
Dr. Peter Ogolla, the hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, denied the claims, stating that the deceased underwent a successful operation with no complications.
“Her cervix dilation was two centimeters and the recommended size is 10 centimeters and so the health workers monitored her every four hour. Her dilation got stuck at 2 centimeters,” he said adding when it was established that Velma could not deliver normally the medics decided to undertake CS on her.
“After the operation, she was taken to the ward following which her condition worsened. She complained of pain in her lower abdomen. However, it is normal for people to feel pain at incision sites. She was given painkillers to relieve the pain,” Ogolla said.
Ogolla couldn’t confirm the cause of death but said that it would be determined through a postmortem. The body was taken to the hospital’s mortuary section.
By Sitna Omar
Source: kenyanews
