A NURSE at Kitwe Central Hospital (KCH) was severely beaten by irate relatives of a patient who died at the out patient department (OPD) upon arrival from a private clinic.
Police have since arrested two men, who are alleged to have pounced on a hapless nurse, as she was going to the OPD to look for a doctor to attend to a patient in her ward.
The two have been charged with assault and will appear in court today.
The two men, who were in a group of other rowdy family members, waylaid the nurse and beat her up before she was rescued.
In an uncompromising mood, the two pushed the nurse around and beat her up, accusing her of negligence.
They argued that had medical personnel attended to their relative, she would not have died after she was referred to the central hospital from a private medical centre.
Eye witnesses said the nurse was only rescued by hospital security and other people who had brought patients to the institution.
The nurse identified as Cecilia Kaonga was beaten around 19:20 hours on Wednesday as she walked from Luapula Ward.
Kitwe Central Hospital Public Relations Officer Grey Chishimba confirmed the incident, saying the two men brought a woman who was in a serious condition and died upon arrival at the OPD one.
According to Mr Chishimba, Ms Kaonga went to the OPD to look for a doctor when the men pounced on her.
“It is shocking that the nurse was beaten when she was not even working at the OPD one, she was just walking along the corridor when this rowdy family pounced on her,” Mr Chishimba said.
Mr Chishimba said a doctor and nurse were at the time on duty at the OPD who the relatives should have contacted if they wanted any immediate attention.
He said the doctor and nurse were attending to another critical patients when an unidentified woman was brought in from a private clinic.
“As long as such cases are underplayed, then perpetrators will continue attacking innocent nurses and doctors,” Mr Chishimba said.
[Times of Zambia]
I KNOW SOME NURSES CAN BE TERRIBLE IN ATTITUDE TOWARDS WORK AND PATIENTS, BUT TO BEAT HER OR HIM IS SINKING TOO LOW AND SAD
I don’t blame the men for doing that. Health workers at Kitwe Central work at snail’s pace even during emergencies. Its like the don’t care. My father died a couple of years ago in a similar way. In the heat of the moment one can lose it
Beating was not going to bring back the deceased that was so low.But again some nurses has ka bad attitude towards patients,anger management is the way forward to some nurses.Grey chishimba shud b seriouse coz it doesnt matter wetha the nurse was assigned to OPD or not she shud av done something to help the patient.
I feel sorry for the loss of the woman, BUT beating up the innocent nurse was not called for.
The referring private hospital should have warned the receiving hospital that they were sending an emergency case so that they could be at an alert.
This is what health institutions should work on when dealing with emergencies to avoid loss of lives
Problem is person has been sick for a long time with AIDS. When he is dying that’s when they go to a govt hospital and blame an innocent nurse. If the patient was very critical why didn’t the private clinic personel accompany the patient? They knew the chap was already dead.
We want to hear the men’s side of the story……
I once witnessed the arrogance of nurses at Kitwe Central Hospital, where I child died in his father’s arms because the nurses denied the patient and his parents access to a Doctor who was on duty. After the child died these terrible nurses said to the parents that the case had now become a police case, as in “brought in dead”.
Unbelievable!
#4 Mr. Bi.tches stop being so ignorant. You haven’t taught anything where you are?
I>D>O>I>T>S They waste time and money at a private clinic manned by half-baked personell then expect miracles at a government institution????? Lock them up and let them mourn their relative and their foolishness in jail.
Private clinics send patients who are about to die away because the have no mortuaries and fear for business if someone died at the clinic.Stop blaming nurses for someone who was sent already dead.Anyone who dies at the hospital within 1 hr upon arrival is considered BID.So this a case of BID.
some nurses are very bad, i don’t these men were so crazy as to just beat this nurse who was just passing by, come on people. the hospital is trying to save its image here! lets hear the two men’s story!
Imwe mwe fipuba fyabantu, do you think the nurse is God to resurrect your relative who has been six 4 too long? think before you act, now you are paying for your own faults, you wont even bury your dead one in peace. Nakumulu mukaya mulelwa imwe.
Rotten Zambia
Lock up those animals so that others can learn a lesson. Nurses work under very difficult conditions in our hospitals and should not be further humiliated by low-level scum of our society. This is GBV and should not be tolerated.
While they are some good nurses, some are just purely annoying and provocative and in such confused situation when you need nothing but help and hope instead you get ignorance, am sorry but i would also jump on them
why beating a nurse wo was just passing by for
other duties.for that matter men beating a lady that is ored gvt on women.
There is no justification. Two wrongs do not make a right. Having said that there is clearly a need for improvement in service and there should have been better communication/arrangements made for the referral of a patient at death’s door.
There is no justification. Two wrongs do not make a right. Having said that there is clearly a need for improvement in service and there should have been better communication and arrangements made for the referral of a patient at death’s door.
Apologies for double post. It said failed on this end :)
Jason these men were wrong. In the first place they took their patient to a private clinic and after failing that is when they decided to bring the finished patient to government clinic which is not fair. Please spare the nurses. they have alot to do it was not only the same patient that was supposed to be attended to. Why did the private clinic treat her? they failed because they knew the patient was already finished.
change your attitudes health practitioners..you will be lynched thru out !!
No sane person can beat anyone at the loss of a relative for no apparent reason. If you have been to our hospitals, you will understand why health personnel especially nurses are beaten. They are highly unprofessional and arrogant. I am sure that nurse asked for it. It doesnt matter whether person recovers or dies, the reception should be that of concern and professionalism. Change your work culture you Zambians.
The behaviour of most of the nurses may call for such action. They are fond of chatting with friends at the time they are supposed to attend to patients. Take time to listen to their conversation just petty issues that can be discussed after work. That’s why in my case most of the time I don’t give them a ride when I see them. It pains!!
Copperbelt monkeys at it again! These relatives have disrespected the death of a loved one. They deserve jail and I hope they are sent in. What is wrong copperbelt baboons who seem to believe that everything is solved through riots and fighting? The only thing they seem to be good at is stealing.
IF I WERE IN ZAMBIA I WOULD BE MOVING WITH A KNIFE TO STAB ANY RELATIVE OF A PATIENT WHO ATTACKS ME.WE DO NOT LIKE APOLOGIES JUST PAY THIS NURSE AT LEAST OVER ONE HUNDRED MILLION KWACHA SINCE YOU ARE RICH AND CAN AFFORD TO TAKE YOUR HIV INFECTED RELATIVES TO THE PRIVATE CLINIC. YOU STINKING SONS OF BITCHES, I HATE YOU.
As much as there is need to adress the issue of service delivery in zambian crippled health situation, beating was not the solution.Most of these people start with private clinics were patients will be loaded with all kinds of antibiotics.After the patient is done and dying thats when they send to governement hospital.Why send them to Government hospital at a crtical moment than when they were better?
No. 23. You like insults. This forum is not meant for insults please but advice. You don’t throw insults anyhow what type of a person are you? Of course the relatives were not in order to beat the nurse but our health personnel should also change their attitude towards patients. Sometimes it takes many hours to attend to a patient why? If you find that they are drinking tea “my GOD” they will tell you to wait meanwhile the condition of the patient is deteriorating. Please change the attitude to serve people. If they are not will to help let be retired on nation interest.
The gerabos were wrong and should be jailed
this is the Popular Fools you voted for no manners not even bad ones.
We appreciate the pain the nurses go through in doing their work but even pretending to be helpful would have comforted the bereaved family members. When mum was ill (MHSRIP), zed nurses where never near apart from routinely taking BP, Temp etc. A cuban doc was shocked that treatment had not started and they asked that i buy her drugs from a private Kabwata pharmacy. Hours later she died. The nurse might have overhead my conversation when she came asking about job prospects in UK? Had i not been with my mother-inlaw, i could have torn that nurse into pieces. It still hurts me that i did nothing to teach her a lesson. We dont know what happened in this case until we get the story from the otherside. Chances are the nurse will withdraw charges.
#21 & 22 Like justifying rape becaauze the woman victim waz “not properly dresst”. No amount of nursez “unethical behavior” can lead a sane person in their right frame work of mind to get phyzical!
There is really a need of in service for nurses, this happens a lot in Zambia esepcially govt hospital, ethics of work place is not there, sorry, I work in heathcare too, but there is need of good incentives to motivate the work ethics. Most of the nurses do not give the care they are trained for, instead they treat the clinic or hospitals as the business place. They do not realise they are there to serve as a calling. Nursing is not a career, it is a calling. Sorry Healthcare must wake up and help its professsion to give good service to the public. There is a message right there to the govt in place.
This family acted stupid, with or without medical attention they should understand that death is there and in this case it was time for their relatives to die, nurses or doctors dont perform miracles to stop some one from dying, they just provide treatment to try and prevent death, but when its time its time. Also understand that health workers in Zambia work under very poor and stressful conditions, from facilities to poor salaries hence bad attitudes from nurses. By the way Kenyan government yestarday fired 120 health workers who went on strike citing poor conditions of working but kenya government defends that.SAME SHIT
If what I experienced 3 weeks ago with a nurse in Kabwe when I took my son to the clinic at night is to go by, I find it difficult to fault the assailants. I too almost lost it, but I restrained myself from ‘misbehaving’. I just told my wife (a healthy worker as well) that we probably need to introduce basic public relations courses in medical schools for front line staff especially nurses.
However beating is far beyond the line. Its better for them to keep a log of the events and report to relevant authorities for action, which action should be pursued.
She was taught a lesson and hope this will serve as a wake up call for all the rest of the bunch of fools who do not have value for human life. Beating is a bad thing but I am convinced within myself that health workers in Zambia MUST change their attitude. People react differently.
Whats the point in beating the poor nurse. Most patients in Zed come to the hospital when its to late after they have tried self medicating and traditional medicines. The poor nurse is not GOD, she can not perform miracles.
GENTLEMEN & LADIES AS MUCH AS WE DO NOT SUPPORT BEATING THE INNOCENT NURSE,WORSE THINGS HAPPEN BY SOME I SAY SOME OF OUR NURSES.THERE ARE CASES WERE A SERIOUS CASES IS LEFT UNATTENDED TO MAY FOR OVER AN HOUR UPON ARRIVAL AT THE HOSPITAL AND THE PERSON DIES EVENTUALLY AT OPD WHILE THE PATIENTS RELATIVES JUST CONTINUE SEEING NURSES MAKING THEMSELVES BUSY BY MOVING UP AND DOWN IN THE CORRIDORS.WE KNOW THERE ARE NURSES WHO HAVE BEEN CALLED TO DO THAT JOB BUT FOR THOSE THAT WENT THERE TO EARN A SALARY,THEN THE TREND OF BEATING THEM UP MAY GO UP AS WE HAVE BEEN SEEING IN THIS HOSPITALS.RESPONSE IS VERY SLOW AND POOR BY SOM NURSES.FOR YOUR OWN ADVISE NURSES PLEASE STICK TO THE WARDS YOU ARE OPERATING FROM Y UNNECESSARY MOVEMENTS MAY B SHE WASNT WORKING ALSO FROM THE WARDS SHE WAS OPERATING FROM.
I work in a government hospital where today a clinical officer and a nurse today attend to over 200 patients in a day.Tell me,is it a nurses fault if a patient dies while waiting to be attended to ?
!D!OTS ! IMBWA NENU YABOLA AT HOME AND YOU THINK A NURSE WIL BRING HIV INFECTED PT.WAZ THE NURSE THERE ILYO ALE OSOLA.
Nurses should be taught ‘pre-emptive’ action, If the relative appear irate hit them first.
Why beat an innocent nurse. Shame on you. You have beaten the staff at the private hospital who wasted your time and pocketed your money. They knew had sucked enough from you and they so the impending demise of tour relative. Why didnt they stabilize the patient before referring or indeed why was the patient not accompanied by a member of staff from the private clinic like others have said in posts baove
Ukusabaila ba shetani!! Try to touch me,ukamwenako. You think health workers ‘re God.
The whole Health, or is it Sickness, Service has been in crisis for decades. It is not just money that it needs but also credible leadership. People die mainly because of negligence. It took more than nine months for my cousin’s cancer test results to be communicated to him, by which time the cancer had spread and was inoperable. The services are not joined up. Putting doctors in charge of running the service is wrong. They are not managers. We need professional managers with knowledge and experience of running big institutions. Doctors should stick to treating patients.
#40 Walipena. You must be a commedian. In Zambia doctors and nurses get away with murder.
#40,yu are bad news,yu broke my ribs.
now back to buzness,those relatives are poorly educated in both formal and informal education.do yu reliase that in most cases there will be atleast 5 criticle cases against a doctor and a nurse in most entry points called OPD.
Ba some of us want express service even when the system cannot handle.direct yo angle to the GRZ via MOH.there are plenty of doctors looking for jobs in uganda,srilanka etc,stop harrasing our few medical pipo that work in impossible set ups,1 nurse 20 patients,what do yu expect?its natural to feel neglected when the staff are attending to another emergency,plz to look at the prevailing situ.no sane dr or nurse can chat while someone is gassiping!!!!!!!!!! work up pipo,my heart bleeds for this nation!!
Surely you are a medical person. We understand your frustrations. Please leave the noble profession and try something else. You seem to take joy in loss of life. Sorry!!!
I read a lot of anger in ourselves as Zambians. I totally understand. What a poisoned chalice PF took over!! There is a need to change things, but real change can only be visible in 10 to 15 years time. However, not many people will understand this fact. I trust these old people leading Zambia will do very good things that will not be visible to the naked eye, but when they are out, thats when we will see results. The loss of human life, is sad; the beating of a nurse, is sad. Godbless you bane, and keep working hard.
am a nurse,i travel 28km to and fro Hospital which is my work-place.i earn 2.3m/month.i rent a house @900000/month.NOW YOU BUDGET FOR ME! I LONG FOR THEZ !D!OTS WHO ARE POWERFUL! YOU HAVE NEVA SEEN REAL NURSE! and thez maciated patients you bring @11th hour? who tells you that medical personel gives life? call on Jesus ! I A HEART FOR A PATIENT NOT ANY OTHER!
This is the bad attitude everyone is referring to. For you it clear that it not a calling as someone put it earlier.
zuno must follow up is case to the end.
they must protect members who are misstreated like this.
the privete clinic must also be taken to task for referring unstable patient witout caring at all.
shamefull.
This is what you in Zambia should start doing to politicians for theft, tribalism, broken election promises and foolish re-alignments, clobber wena!
Those of you who are condeming the men are likely to be Medical personnel. Wait until you get affected yourself somehow. Are the medical personnel, especially Nurses, taught to be arrogant? This is what you will witness in our medical institutions – arrogance. Let it be clear to persons losing a loved one that the nurses did their best, not doubt that the nurses or Doctors were negligent. We need to improve the behaviour of the medical people in Zambia, especially on attitude.
DRINKING TEA IS NOT A PROBLEM TO NURSES HERE ALL OFFICES I HAVE BEEN THEY DRINK TEA NOT ONLY AT THE HOSPITAL.THE ISSUE IS TAKING THE SICK RELATIVE TO HOSPITAL WHEN YOU HAVE LOST HOPE OR AT 11TH HOUR. YOU BEAT A NURSE FORGETING THAT YOU ARE THE MOST USELESS RELATIVE WHO AVOIDED THE HOSPITAL YOU ARE GOING TO. THOSE RELATIVE WENT TO KITWE HOSPITAL TO COLLECT DEATH CERTIFICATE.
#7 Gundix, according to policy, all patients who pass away within two hours of arrival at the hospital or brought in dead from home are certified as “Brought In Dead” or BID. Consequently, they are treated as Police cases. In part because there must be an insuance of a death certificate if a person died in the hospital to which case a medical officer can issue a death certificate based on what the deceased had been suffering. When a person dies upon arrival or in the first two hours protocol calls for granting of a BID certification in the presence of the Police by the doctor. I worked at the hospital for years and I am conversant with the policy. I regret that sometimes due to poor communication there is unnecessary misunderstanding between staff and our highly esteemed family …
members.
I thought issues of bringing terminally ill patients are only common here. Even in Zambia it’s also common. A lot of people waste their time in private clinics and tend to visit public hospitals late.