Woman bleeds to death after Caesarean operation

A 26-year-old Mombasa woman bled to death in what her family claims is a case of negligence by doctors who carried out a Caesarean section on her.

Mr Thomas Mwongela wants the government to take action against the doctors who operated on his wife at the Coast General Hospital.

According to Mr Mwongela, his wife Jane Achieng developed complications after the procedure on Friday last week.

Coast General Hospital deputy administrator Mary Ocholla said she was investigating the matter and action would be taken if the doctors were found culpable.

“Every maternal death is a matter of concern to us, especially with the Beyond Zero campaign. We will peruse the patient’s file and question the doctors,” Dr Ocholla said.

Mr Mwongela said doctors who recommended the operation claimed his wife’s birth canal had not dilated enough for a normal delivery.

He narrated how she was discharged on Sunday, two days after the operation, despite complaining of excruciating pain in her abdomen.

“I asked the nurses why they were discharging her yet she was in pain and they said they were following the doctor’s orders,” he said as he fought back tears on Saturday.

On Monday, Ms Achieng again complained of terrible pain and asked to be taken to hospital.

On Tuesday, he took her back to the Coast General Hospital.

INTERNAL BLEEDING

“The first thing a female doctor who examined her asked was if she was pregnant as her stomach was swollen. I told her she had delivered through a Caesarean section on Friday.

“After examining her, she said there was a possibility the operation had been botched and that my wife could be bleeding internally.

She said she will have to undergo another operation and if the uterus was damaged, it would be removed,” he said.

At 3pm, Ms Achieng was wheeled to the theatre for the second operation, which lasted more than six hours.

Around 9pm, he said, theatre staff said she should be taken to the ward despite her looking weak.

Mr Mwongela said a nurse who was called to take her to the ward refused, saying she was too weak and should be referred to the Intensive Care Unit but the theatre staff were adamant.

“The nurse later told us that my wife was in such a bad state she did not want to be held responsible if something happened to her.

CONDITION DETERIORATED

A doctor then came and said she should be taken to the ward,” he said. Ms Achieng’s condition, meanwhile, deteriorated.

“She was put on a drip and the nurses kept changing her bandages, which were soaked in blood, every five minutes. Blood was also oozing from her ears and other openings of her body,” he said.

“The doctors then said she needed a blood transfusion,” he said.

However, she died at 4am on Wednesday before the transfusion could be done.

“What I want is justice for my wife who was my only companion as I am an orphan. She would be alive today had she been operated on properly in the first place,” he said.

“First Lady Margaret Kenyatta is running to save mothers and their babies but they are dying due to negligence,” he said.

His aunt, Ms Monica Mwangeka, is nursing the week-old baby left by Ms Achieng.