Woman sues IHK over negligence

A woman has sued International Hospital Kampala (IHK) for allegedly doing a surgical procedure up to her rectum during the delivery of her baby, an omission she says caused her serious health complications.
Ms Doreen Akoth, in her suit in the High Court in Kampala, avers that when she went into labour on October 28, 2017, she was taken to IHK by her husband. But upon arrival, she was admitted and the following day she was given two hours to exercise on the hospital stairs before the operation.
“After doing a membrane sweep on the plaintiff (Akoth) a gynaecologist recommended for an induction and I was given the first dose at around 2am and I was told to assess myself to determine if I was to take the second dose or not without being supervised by any qualified medical personnel of the defendant (IHK),” Ms Akoth states in her suit.
“On the 30th day of October 2017 at around 7am, one of the defendant’s midwife came to change the bed sheets she had used [the previous night] after her brother quarrelling [with] the hospital supretendant. This did not go on well with this mid-wife who instead attacked the plaintiff thus leaving,” she further states.
Ms Akoth says another midwife Kedreth Kwikiriza, came in at around 8am and informed her that she was the one going to work on her for the next process thus ordering for the baby’s clothes and everyone out of the room except the plaintiff’s husband.
“When everyone had moved out, the said midwife examined the plaintiff and informed her that her cervix was very thick putting her on IV drip to help in making it thin. A few minutes later, after examining the plaintiff, the midwife ordered her to immediately start pushing the baby while shouting and yelling at the plaintiff that she had around 8 other expectant mothers although she was not feeling the push of the baby,” the court documents read in part.

Damage
Ms Akoth states that due to fear of being neglected, she complied and the midwife picked a surgical blade and did a longitudinal episiotomy on her up to the rectum which was stitched, leaving her in untold pain, whenever she visited the toilet.
She blamed the midwife for rushing to break the amniotic sac at 6cm instead of the recommended 9cm and sac was broken after two days in labour.
Ms Akoth adds that medical tests conducted afterwards indicated that she had developed sepsis, as a result of cotton wool that was stuffed into her body to control bleeding, and left inside.
Her lawyer Erias Lukwago says several medical interventions that she has undergone since that time have affected her sexual impulse and put her marriage on the brink of collapsing. She adds that she is enduring long-term medication for her rectum to function.
She wants IHK to pay her Shs16m in special, punitive and exemplary damages. The hospital has been given 15 days to respond to the petition.