Judge visits hospital over death of pregnant mother

Judge Benjamin Kabiito (2nd L) at Nakaseke Hospital on Wednesday. The visit was in line with the case of the death of an expectant mother at the hospital. PHOTO BY ANTHONY WESAKA

What you need to know:

The hospital is accused of neglecting Ms Irene Nanteza for more than 10 hours while in labour pains, leading to her death and her unborn child on May 5, 2011

NAKASEKE- Kampala High Court Judge Benjamin Kabiito on Wednesday visited Nakaseke District Local Government Hospital to ascertain whether it was out of negligence that an expectant mother died unattended to by health workers on duty.

The hospital is accused of neglecting Ms Irene Nanteza for more than 10 hours while in labour pains, leading to her death and her unborn child on May 5, 2011

Nakaseke District Local Government, on behalf of Nakaseke Hospital was sued by a civil society organisation, Centre for Health Human Rights and Development, along with Mr David Mugerwa, husband to the deceased and their children Gloria Natongo and Suzan Nalukwago.

In their complaint, the petitioners are seeking for general damages, saying Ms Nanteza’s right to life was violated, an action they say; is contrary to the constitution.

The petitioners’ cause of action against Nakaseke local government is for the alleged deprivation of medical treatment to the deceased, despite persistent pleas for assistance and also deliberate denial of access to the hospital ambulance when the husband to the deceased opted to transfer his wife to another hospital.

Medical statistics show that 17 pregnant women die on daily basis from preventable maternal deaths in Uganda.

The leading causes of maternal death in Uganda include; massive shortage of trained, motivated and equitably deployed professional health workers to attend to births, lack of access to emergency obstetric care, and lack of family planning services.