The Sunday Mail
Forward Nyanyiwa
The English adage, a teacher’s mistake is found on the street and a doctor’s mistake is found in the grave is, indeed, true. Most people who visit major public and private medical institutions seeking help but sadly, some end up with horrific and shuddering tales.
There has been a significant increase in medical negligence in Zimbabwe’s hospitals of late and most patients have found seeking recourse a wild goose chase. Painful have been some of the tragedies that both life and limb have been lost and lifelong dreams shuttered.
Recently, Ms Florence Teterai was at the courts suing Chitungwiza Central Hospital to the tune of $127 000 for the disfigurement she suffered following a surgery by three doctors at the national referral centre. The operation had to be re-done at a private surgery, with the patient having to bear the cost of the extra bills.
A Dzivaresekwa woman, Netsai Matibe, lost her hand following another case of medical negligence by doctors and nurses at Mbuya Nehanda Maternity Hospital, at Parirenyatwa Hospital. The doctors and nurses allegedly left a tourniquet on her arm, claiming they were trying to locate her veins so they could re-hydrate her. So harrowing is her story. She says doctors at one time said they were contemplating amputating her hand in order to cover up on their misdemeanour on her.
She was quoted saying, “I requested to be discharged as I was not satisfied by the treatment I was now getting. Doctors were visiting my bed regularly trying to convince me into having the amputation done. No-one apologised for the harm they had caused and all they wanted was to amputate me as a way of covering up their boob,” she said.
All her dreams have been shuttered as she continue to rue her missed job as a till operator. The list is endless and some cases are disturbing. The case of Katherine Manjengwa of Binga who had three pairs of scissors left in her uterus by Gokwe hospital doctors following a Caesarean procedure to remove a dead baby is one of the major ones.
Many people are suffering at the hands of medical practitioners who seem to go scot–free as there seems to be a knowledge deficit on how to find recourse.
However, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr Gerald Gwinji, said people have various avenues to take to seek assistance if they encounter such predicaments because there is a legal framework governing medical practitioners.
“Aside from Health Service Regulations governing those in the civil service, we also have the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council (MDPZ) that presides over the practice and conduct of doctors. Any member of public with complaints can approach them by writing to them,” said Dr Gwinji.
Dr Gwinji also said a patient can sue both the institution and practitioner and the Ministry takes responsibility in most cases, depending on how the cases are addressed.
“Depending on how a case is addressed, some raise complaints to us and we tackle them or handover to MDPZ for regulatory investigations, but one can also sue both institution and practitioner,” he said.
Questions sent to the MDPZ – who acknowledged their role as a regulatory body – had not been responded to by the time of going to print. The registrar directed this writer to one Ms Felistas Chari who promised to respond to the e-mailed questions. “Your inquiry is receiving attention of (the) council and a response will be sent to you,” said Ms Chari. Subsequent phone calls yielded nothing.
A medical analyst who preferred anonymity said the MDPZ should play its role as a watch dog for medical practitioners. “This is a regulatory council which should be investigating all these reports and taking necessary action. Look at what the Law Society of Zimbabwe do, now and again they publish names of errant lawyers whom they will have struck off their registers but I have not seen that coming from MDPZ in a while,” he said.
He went on to say people were reporting their issues but there seems to be a drag from those who are supposed to help.
“Patients do lodge complaints, they might not do that in writing but they do complain and it is only unfortunate that the regulatory board is playing a ‘lap-dog’. Certainly how can a case of someone leaving three pairs of operating scissors in a patient’s womb is not censured?” he queried.
Moses Shambare who lives in Mahusekwa said he is still mourning his father who died at Harare Hospital after doctors “misplaced” the results slips which had ordered blood transfusion.
“My father was transferred from Mahusekwa Hospital to Harare Hospital because he needed specialised care. However, he was to meet his maker in a cruel way after we were told that the result slip which had been taken to ascertain his haemoglobin levels was missing.
“By the time they visited the laboratory two days later for a copy of the results, the condition had worsened and he died before the blood transfusion. There was a delay in dealing with his case and the doctors never gave an explanation but only to say ‘we did our best’. I was devastated,” explained Mr Shambare.
The chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Health portfolio, Dr Ruth Labode, said although they are not aware of such incidents, the aggrieved persons should approach MDPZ.
“I am not very much aware that there are such issues, but if there are people with complaints, the country has a regulatory council which is the MDPZ and all grievances should be directed there,” she said.
Whilst there can be reversals and repairs if mistakes happen in other disciplines, the same cannot be said in health sector were human life is at stake. Once a life is lost, it can never be reclaimed.
