A WOMAN of Kitwe‘s Ndeke Village Township yesterday delivered outside Kitwe Central Hospital (KCH) in her husband’s vehicle due to alleged negligence by medical staff at the health facility.
It is believed that the woman delivered around 06:00 hours after nurses at the hospital allegedly refused to attend to her.
Sources said the husband left his wife in his vehicle and went upstairs to plead with the nurses to attend to her but his efforts were in vain.
Kitwe District Commissioner (DC) Elias Kamanga said was unacceptable for a women deliver outside a hospital when nurses were there to do their job.
Mr. Kamanga said it was sad that the incident happened outside a hospital in full view of the passers-by.
He said he was informed of the incident just after 06:00 hours by Chingola Mayor Cuthbert Kalebaila who was going to the hospital to see his relative and found the woman giving birth.
“I have spoken directly to the Kitwe Central Hospital management to get to the root cause of this because I am not going to tolerate such behavior. We want to carry out thorough investigations. Nurses who were involved must be penalised,” Mr Kamanga said.
He said government was making health facilities and services available to the people but unfortunately the medical personnel were not co-operating.
why is n’t the post and their mmembe screaming until their faces turn blue about this? they did during the mmd’s time, so what has changed?
Kano nga musungu…or some politician or rich person… The nurses would have run out to help the lady… ubu busushi/ubututu at its best….Infact forget penalised, they must be arrested and must not be allowed to practice again….Hope the woman and baby are well atleast!!!
Good Morning friends!!!!
Chilombo, is that your first thought? How amazing!
Back to the issue at hand…, send those devils to jail, i cant believe how excruciating this must have been for her, the pain of labour, only when you have gone through that pain can you understand, that woman needs support through and through, those involved should be dealt with now, women are neglected by fellow women how will men treat us? shame indeed.
chabwera is now in foreign service so no chance
@Chilombo and Me Me Me, don’t be judgmental. The problem with most of you is that you want to go to the hospital when it is too late. Did you expect the nurses to abandon other patients they were attending to who could have even been more critical and rush to someone outside the hospital? It was not a matter of just running there, what about gloves and other utilities? My advice is for people go to the hospital in good time. Don’t just put the blame on hospital workers.
Ba Diva naimwe you must be objective…How many nurses were in the hosp.. all of them had patients who needed urgent attention??
Sometimes labour comes from nowhere and gets intense within a short period of time, not everyone has the warning signs and remember, every pregnancy is different!
Alarming negligence! At least, it won’t be like chanda Kabwela’s ordeal. We are watching.
You mean this happened before? really i cant even begin to grasp every bit of it, if at all i had some sort of power over these people who dont respect life, women and their work, i would deal with them they would regret the day they were born!
This is more proof that there is need of a work cultural change in the health sector. I think poverty has led to the health profession being viewed as a money making careers when rather they are vocations. A vocation demands working even in the most unimaginable conditions to serve the people. There is need for training to focus on ethical issues. This is what happens when the curriculum has become that of mere note taking and theory. Disappointing.
I think we dont need to conclude things now, but let investigations be done and conclusively. While we rush out to point at the nurses, lets not forget that we also as citizens have the responsibility to get the hospitals in good time. These days technology have improved that one will know the due period easily. However traditionally our women, especially if it is not the first pregnancy have a tendency not to rush to hospital for fear of been admitted for days before delivery. We also need to change our behavour towards medical issues, even one feels sick we dont want to go for medical check up until its serious.
I agree with you 100%. We have just heard one side of the story here. Suppose the available midwives at that time were helping the already admitted women inside the hospital? This is negligence not by the hospital but the husband or the couple themselves. A pregnancy is 9 months and on the maternity card there is always an EDD (estimated day of delivery). What makes it more interesting, this couple had their own car. What about the convulsions that women get before delivery? Isn’t that enough to warn someone that it is time to go to the hospital?
Exactly my point! Let us not blame nurses at Kitwe Central Hospital, the couple did not just get to the Hospital in good time. Poor planning on their part shouldnt become an emergency on the part of nurses. Also, the nurses could have been attending to other equally important cases in the martenity ward, remember they are understaffed.
ACcording to what I’ve read,it says the man left her pregnant wife in the vehicle and went to the nurses,why didn’t he just go with her inside the hospital in the first place immediately he reached the hospital but he instead went inside and left her wife behind.
It looks like the man took his wife quite late to the hospital.
There are so many possibilities. The man could have gone to get a wheel chair and ask for assistance. The clinic/hospital could have given the lady a wrong EDD(-for those without responsibility of fathering, EDD is expected date of delivery), the couple could have been late, it could have been a premature delivery, the nurses could have been arrogant and frustrated, etc etc
Nothing like it looks like, emergency is just what it should be, ever heard of ER? there should have been servants in white running around with wheel chairs and the sort, no one to blame but the servants nothing more nothing less, and if this has happened before, people should even be more alert that history doesnt repeat itself, but then again thats Africa for you, Zambia in particular!
Iros, unless you have been in labour before…then you would understand why the woman could not walk up those stairs to the top floor maternity wards because I am assuming the lifts are not in working order !!! Ask some one who has been in labour before…
With this high levels of negligence nurses and doctors involved need to loose their licenses , thats how developed countries like America treat its health workers found breaking health professional ethical conducts do, take away licenses from people found violeting professional ethics. People involved do not deserve to work in health sector because these are the same people destroying governments efforts to improve health services despite billions of money government and donors have put towards meaningful health delivery services. Maternal health issues should be the least to talk about after 48 years of independence, please Zambians lets change our working culture.
Shame on the Nurses that were on Duty!
For those that are saying the Couple had the Estimated Date of Delivery(EDD)…Please note that Sometimes these dates are not exactly. The Delivery can come earlier than the EDD and sometimes later than the EDD…
The Medical Presonnel must always be ready to receive emmergencies Period!…
In as much as we may want to put the blame the poor woman for the delay in seekingh help let be known that some women have shortened labour and these are the women who may have complications.So I wouldn’t put the blame on her or her relatives.As a hospital how prepared are we in handling emergencies.Some nurses at Kitwe Central Hospital especially the medical and maternity wards are very rude to say the least.Theey behave as if they own the hospital.I urge the Executive director, clinical director to sort this messs with the Nursing superintendant.As a concerned citizen I would’n want my wife ,sister or any other woman to be subjected to such inhuman treatment by people paid to look after us.
It is very true that nurses at KCH think they own the hospital. I can be a witness to it. I saw it when i was in labour for my Second child no help at all. Even if it is the so called high cost it is the some. If it is at night they are watching TV and someone is in the delieverly room all by herself and big money has been paid no help, it is as good as having your baby at home. PF please the women of Kitwe!
those who will always put the blame on the nurses and doctors on duty, for your own information labor takes more than four hours in which time the couple with a vehicle should have rushed to the hospital in time. Women are taught the early signs of labor during antenatal visits but decide not to follow instructions! Spare the the already poorly staffed nurses and for once get into their shoes then you can talk because, from what i get here most of you are commenting from an ignorant point.
What is 06:00 hours?? 6AM?
Zambia uses the 24 hour clock officially…
What is wrong with you?
Imwe…., really? hhehehehehehhhe, mwandepula luchelochelo, elo you are in SA according to your flag, hehehehehhehe,You teasing right?
Okay bosses……Bushi is this engrish correct…ati Kitwe woman…Lusaka woman..nshaufwampo ati london woman or hongkong woman
Hehhehehehehehehhe, who cares aslong as you understand. One funny thing though, how come we dont make fun of a european who blunders in engrish only laugh at our fellow bulackys? Could it be a complex?
health workers dont just touch patients any how!! clearly the woman was not refered to kitwe central hospital ( all refered cases use ambulances and are accompanied by qualified midwives). A nurse can not touch a patient whom she doesnt know where from. what people need to understand is that hospitals have proceedures to be followed and the referal system is in place for a reason! I wonder if this woman in question was even attending antenatal. The Nurse did nothing wrong!
YOU ARE MISSING THE POINT BWANA.WE ARE NOT DEALING WITH A COLD CASE HERE LIKE FLU.THIS IS AN EMERGENCY!HELP THE WOMAN FIRST AND THEN FIND OUT ABOUT THE PROCEDURES LATER.I CAN’T STOMACH IT WHEN YOU SAY”A nurse can not touch a patient whom she doesnt know where from. what people need to understand is that hospitals have proceedures to be followed and the referal system is in place for a reason”
IF WE CONTINUE WITH SUCH REASONING ,WE WILL NOT REDUCE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE AS ENVISAGED IN MDG 5.THE HOSPITAL MUST OWN UP AND SORT OUT THIS MESS.
Very Red Tape. Colonial mentality. Sha
how does normal labour become an emergency?? total madness!! it sees u dont know what u r talking about!
Kapyongo, Now I know you have never delivered a baby. Labour is always an emergency as it comes with different unexpected complications for both mother & baby.
google what normal labour and complicated labour means!! dont show ur dullness on the net please
Okay u might say she wz late, but i tell u ve been there even while in hospital and even surgeries like hilltop mothers have babies coming out on their own due to negligence. Some times u call them, they will think u a just making noise. The ratio also should looked at say how many patients per nurse. Even ku fee paying the moment u deliver u a out not even cleaning u for real coz another woman is crying ready to deliver, so the ratio issue is critical. At Ndola Central like antenatal is restricted to say 15 patients per week. We need more midwives with good language
‘nurse can not touch a patient whom she doesnt know where from. what people need to understand is that hospitals have proceedures to be followed and the referal system is in place for a reason! I wonder if this woman in question was even attending antenatal. The Nurse did nothing wrong!
1.SO NURSES ARE ONLY SUPPOSE D TO TOUCH PATIENTS THEY KNOW OR WHO ARE REFFERED.
2.IF THE WOMAN DID NOT ATTEND ANC,IT MEANS THE HEALLTH SYSTEM IS FAILING THE WOMEN IN HEALTH EDUCATION(WHAT HAS THE DISTRICT MEDICAL OFFICER GOT TO SAY ABOUT THIS)
3.IF THIS WOMAN DIED,I WONDER WHO WAS TO TAKE THE BLAME ?I SUPPOSE IN YOUR WISDOM YOU ARE SAYING THE RELATIVES ARE, BECAUSE THEY WENT TO THE HOSPITAL TO ASK FOR HELP.IF YOU A MAN AND ARE MARRIED I DON’T WISH YOUR WIFE GOES THROUGH SUCH INHUMAN TREATMENT.
Blah Blah Blah……Help the woman first then you can go hug a tree afterwards with your Blah Blah Blah….Shameless Nurse !!!! Proceedures my foot…..if anything had happened to either mother or baby…then what ? Enh !! All these proceedures who could not have helped you out of a dilema. Nurses should be more professional and have the humility and kind heart of Florence Nightingale herself !!!! Not ukulamekameka fye naka Uniform as if your world revolves around it. That uniform and proceedures should revolve around saving lives !!!!! SHAME ON YOU !!!!!
I learned a long time ago that if you fill your environment with too many regulations, you will lose pragmatism. This a scenario where even lunch-time is used as a regulation to not attend to matters in Zambia. It is so disheartening.
Health workers change your working attitude.negligence has been observed in many cases but when you go out there to clean bazungu in home based care homes you pay extra efforts to the extent of using bare hands to accomplish your desire to get more pounds/dollas.change!
Bad Attitude by nurses,Red Tape and understaffing could be some of the reasons.
The woman must have been hesitating to go to the Hospital. Women are a problem, she must have been saying ‘ wait naiwe there is still time ‘ or she must have taken the african medicine for quick delivery. Iam a father of six i know what am saying
Father of six my foot.
Did she have labor pains? looks like she delayed going to the hospital!
Surprised? Not surprised. That is Zambia for you. Everything has service has to be sweated for, even if the procedure is extremely simple. It hurts a lot to face such experiences. Many people have lost lives pa Central. Sadly, I always remember a CBU student who died at the maternity ward at KCH; reason, not attended to. We have changed governments, but to change the work culture pa Zambia will be require more work than the PF could ever imagine!! There is too much hate for each other in Zambia; from politics, to neighbours, to everything. Our friends around the world help each other so much; and our fellow Zambians help foreigners far too much.
what atitude are u talking about? health workers are human who also go through same frustrations from bankers to shop tellers in shoprite to passport officers and RATSA! but u *****s when u come to the hospital u want red carpet treatment!!! atase
How du expect them to work properly wen their were used to be given a place at nurcing sko.
this incidence must be investigated. it was not correct in my opinion for the DC to pass his judgement against the nurses before hearing from them and indeed cross examining the husband why he brought his wife late. nurses are humans and we can not expect them to cover us for our failures. that man should now learn to go to hospital as soon as signs show. one may even suspect that when the pains started the man was not at home but with a concubine somewhere and hence the delay in going to hospital. PLEASE MR DC LEARN TO HEAR BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY IN ANY INCIDENCE,OTHERWISE YOU WILL ALWAYS FIND YOUR SELF ON THE WRONG SIDE.
You are right. Mr. Kamanga has not done his job properly. It makes me wonder whether he knows the emergency plans at the hospital and who takes care of that. This shows that Mr Kamanga doesn.t know how the city of Kitwe Functions.
If it was MMD nga tatunyele now that its PF ni zeeeeeeeeee. Kabwela where where the likes of you. does that mean it was a planned move to photograph the woman in labour??
If I were the hubby I would have made the nurses to lick the fluid of my wife as she delivered. These nurses sometimes they act as if they are not normal. Please nurses dont go for work after nabaminasha ukuminyenga.
Ba Rokana pa Chilata naimwe mwitusebanya, we are all ba Kalampa from pacilata. Iirrespective of whatsoever circumstances that lead to the lady going to KCH just the time to deliver doesn’t matter. The fact that the lady had arrived @ the hospital the health practitioners on duty that day owed the lady duty of care. You don’t conclude saying she was late as somebody as somebody has already mentioned that in certain circumstances to some woman date of delivery may come earlier or later than the anticipated dates. Even if they made a mistake, do you treat someone inhumanly like that?
“Kitwe District Commissioner (DC) Elias Kamanga said was unacceptable for a women deliver outside a hospital when nurses were there to do their job”. First thanks to God that the lady and baby are alive. Mr. Kamanga, MPs, Ministers, opposition leaders, other leaders in communities etc do they take due deligence in ensuring that right policies, standards, procedures and practices are in place to prevent such incidents from happening and that the public are aware what to do in case of emergency. Eg, You call police station for help, police say have no gas, no car or have one officer on duty etc. cannot come. what have leaders done about these issues? Blamming nurses, policemen or personnel involved. Leaders wake up and help rectify the system. Stop waiting for accidents & inc. to happen…
Imwe bantu this story has no details. Dont judge. What if nurses were very busy with other patients? Could they just abandon those patients for the one who was outside? What time was the lady taken to hospital? please spare the poor nurses. these political statements should end. You are all now sounding like Sunday chanda.
Iwe Diva, ulishilu? Its not the issue of gloves. Read the story again. The husband rushed upstairs and pleaded with the nurses…Which means the nurses refused to give any help.
some times, critical analysis of issues is vital. first find out how the hospital operates, are the midwives supose to be at the car park or in the labour ward? what is the average number of patients does one midwive attend to at at a particular time? of course you dont expect a nurse to abandone the patients at her care for a patient outside,check your brains and see if your thinking is upto date
@54′ good point, truly these mothers are taught all about early signs of labour and are told to keep things ready when you have one of them signs, if its not confirmed labour then they are told to go back home or are kept for monitoring in the wards. Some women are the I know it all especially if they have had few babies, they would sit at home and go to hospital when it’s already too late. It’s true the nurses could have been busy with other patients in labour ward, and the lady in the car had eminent child delivery. The nursing staff is an issue everywhere in the world, many people have quit the job because the masses being served give little or no appreciation. They are always under pressure, and understaffed. A UK lady had a baby delivered in the hotel, she was sent back. No big…
Story that one, she was told by the nurses and the doctor that she was still not in established labour. The lady was so upset, but the trust congratulated her, though she was later attended to by the paramedics. So stop crying, even in the developed world mothers can be sent back when in labour ok……
Nokwasuka muleyasuka, the president in his time when he was a minister of health he was not tolarating such nonsense katwishi nganibani balesekesha this time he can’t even talk about it, people were inspired that’s why the voted him thinking things will change in health centres and other government departments but that’s when it’s infact worse than ever, shame to you nurses better you do something else than coveting Florence nightingale you can’t take that lagacy am sorry choose what is best for you that’s why people are dying whilst watching, Bu nurse ni vocation no matter what there is no defence over this look at the teachers the job well done in solowezi who helped an 18 year old grade 9 pupil at a certain school to give birth to a boy child did they wait for the health workers…