Parents sue Kibuli hospital over loss of baby’s fingers

Parents of a two-year-old baby have sued Kibuli Muslim Hospital over alleged negligence that led to the amputation of five fingers of the minor’s left hand.

Mr Andrew Nalume and Ms Sylvia Wakabi sued the hospital demanding Shs90m as special damages.

According to documents before the High Court in Kampala, Ms Wakabi avers that when she was due to give birth on April 4, 2016, she was admitted to Kibuli Muslim Hospital where she was receiving antenatal care.

Ms Wakabi says on April 5, 2016, she gave birth to the minor under child registration No. 3367/16 and on the same day, the hospital assigned one of its nurse/ midwives to provide postnatal care to her and her newborn baby, which involved intravenous administration of medicine at 5pm.

This was followed by a review at 11pm and further care at 6am on April 6.
“The said nurse, who was assigned to administer the medicine on the plaintiff at 5pm, tied a tourniquet around the plaintiff’s left hand wrist with the object of identifying a vein on her left hand into which to intravenously inject the medicine,” the couple narrates in the court documents.

Nurse faulted
“However, either negligently, carelessly and recklessly, the nurse failed to remove the tourniquet from the plaintiff’s wrist after administration of the medicine as is prescribed by accepted medical practice, there by cutting off the blood supply to her left hand,” the couple further state.

The nurse allegedly failed to follow review the plaintiff’s condition at 11pm as she was scheduled to do and, therefore, failed to discover that the tourniquet was still tied around her wrist and the baby suffered ischemia.

Accordingly, the minor’s fingers become infected after the blood supply was cut off for 13 hours.
“In a bid to arrest the gangrene that had affected the plaintiff’s left hand, the hospital’s doctors advised the parents that amputation of the affected fingers was necessary. They referred the plaintiff to CORSU Rehabilitation Hospital in Kisubi for post-amputation care,” the court documents read in part.

Hospital writes to parents
On May 19, 2016, the hospital administrator, a one Dr Siraj S. Mbulambaga, wrote an email to minor’s father with an attachment of a draft agreement for contribution for treatment of the minor but they did not follow through with the said contribution.
Through their lawyers of Anguria & Co. Advocates, the parents now want Kibuli Muslim Hospital to pay them Shs90m as special damages.

DEFENCE
Allegations denied. In their defence, through their lawyers of M’/S Nsibambi & Nsibambi Advocates, Legal & Corporate Consultants, the hospital agreed to treating the plaintiff and her mother.
However, they claim the condition that led to the amputation of the plaintiff’s fingers was never as a result of negligence on their part.

Compensation. The hospital also claims that in the alternative and without prejudice, however legitimate the plaintiff’s claim for recompense is, the proper party to make good such compensation is the duly contracted insurance company (UAP Insurance) under which they are indemnified in respect of such claims.