Post-mortem reveals what killed mother of twins at Mama Lucy Hospital
Robert Omondi holds his newborn twin boys at his home in Fedha estate in Nairobi on September 9, 2022. His wife, Maureen Anyango, died from childbirth complications.
What you need to know:
- The woman who was allegedly neglected at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, bled to death after giving birth according to a post-mortem done yesterday.
- Anyango died last Wednesday, at Kiambu Level Five Hospital after being referred from Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, leaving behind days-old newborn twins.
- Government pathologist Dorothy Njeru, said she died of heavy bleeding and increased intracranial pressure, which is the pressure exerted by fluids inside the brain tissue.
Maureen Anyango, the woman who was allegedly neglected at Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, bled to death after giving birth.
According to a post-mortem done yesterday by government pathologist Dorothy Njeru, Anyango died of heavy bleeding and increased intracranial pressure (ICP), which is the pressure exerted by fluids inside the brain tissue.
“As a result of my examination, I formed the opinion that the cause of death was raised intracranial pressure, pulmonary oedema, pre-eclampsia and post-partum haemorrhage,” signs Dr Njeru.
Pulmonary oedema is a condition caused by too much fluid in the lungs caused by congestive heart failure.
When the heart is not able to pump efficiently, blood can back up into the veins that take blood through the lungs.
As the pressure in these blood vessels increases, fluid is pushed into the air spaces (alveoli) in the lungs.
Pre-eclampsia is serious high blood pressure that develops during pregnancy while postpartum haemorrhage is heavy bleeding after birth.
Heavy bleeding is the leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. More than half of the deaths occur within 24 hours after childbirth.
The bleeding is due to either a placenta that is not expelled after birth or when the uterus fails to contract after delivery.
Each year, about 14 million women experience postpartum haemorrhage, resulting in 70,000 deaths.
In Kenya, it is the leading cause of maternal mortality, accounting for 34 per cent of deaths.
However, the deaths can be avoided if the situation is attended to immediately.
Twins left behind
Anyango died last Wednesday, at Kiambu Level Five Hospital after being referred from Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital, leaving behind days-old newborn twins.
Her husband Robert Omondi claims they waited for eight hours before his wife was attended to — four hours at the hospital and four more before an ambulance came after they were given a referral note.
After the story was published by the Nation, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja made an impromptu visit to the hospitals and acknowledged that the situation was not good.
He has since appointed a committee of six experts, including the chief administrative secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr Mercy Mwangangi, and Amref Health Africa CEO Githinji Gitahi, to look into the problems of the health sector in Nairobi County.
The taskforce is chaired by Prof Olive Mugenda.
The post-mortem results came out as Anyango’s twins got admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital after they developed complications on Monday night.
Mr Omondi said the twins were diagnosed with jaundice and their condition is worrying.
Jaundice is a condition in which the skin and whites of the eyes turn yellow because of a high level of bilirubin, a yellow-orange bile pigment. It is a sign of a problem with the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas.
