In a heartrending development, a newly born baby had her leg amputated after negligent nurses stationed at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals left the baby unattended for 11 days- a situation which resulted in the rotting of the leg.
It is reported that the nurses at the country’s biggest medical referral institution ended up labelling Tiny Masvaure, the mother of the child, ‘a troublesome parent’ after she had pestered on them to attend to the child as the condition of the baby’s leg continued to deteriorate.
Disturbingly, when the nurses decided to intervene, the baby’s leg had already been infected and there was no other alternative left than the amputation of the baby’s leg.
Overwhelmed by the agony of raising up a disabled child, an aggrieved Masvaure has since approached the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights (ZLHR).
In comments posted on their official Twitter handle, the ZLHR said:
“At Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals, authorities have landed themselves in trouble after a newly born baby had her leg amputated less than 1 month after being born. Tiny Masvaure ended up staying at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals for more than 3 months in an isolated ward after her baby now aged 1 year & 4 months-old, had her leg amputated on 19 January 2021 because the leg had been infected.”
“An aggrieved Masvaure has engaged @PaidaSaurombe of @ZLHRLawyers who recently wrote a letter of complaint to the hospital & to @MoHCCZim protesting & arguing that the unfortunate neglect & abuse of the baby by the hospital staff despite the protestations of the mother, had led to the minor’s leg being amputated. Saurombe asked the hospital to provide Masvaure with all hospital records regarding her baby, all minutes on the investigations conducted on how the minor came to be amputated, provide a prosthetic leg for the baby & a comprehensive compensation plan for past and future medical expenses incurred and to be borne by the minor.”
“Saurombe argued that according to Section 62 of the Constitution, which provides for access to information, Masvaure is entitled to be furnished with the requested information. In addition, Saurombe said Section 19(2)(c) of the Constitution obliges State authorities to protect children from maltreatment, neglect or any form of abuse. He said failure to positively respond to Masvaure’s demands will leave him with no option but to employ legal measures to obtain the requested medical records.”
In a letter addressed to hospital authorities, Saurombe said:
“We have instructions to demand as we hereby do that you provide us within seven days of receipt of this letter, all hospital records regarding the victim, all minutes on the investigations conducted on how she came to be amputated, a prosthetic leg for her and a comprehensive compensation plan for past and future medical expenses”.
Zwnews
