…as she sues military hospital for M3 million
Moorosi Tsiane
A Naledi woman has filed a M3 million lawsuit against Makoanyane Military Hospital, alleging gross negligence during childbirth that left her newborn daughter with life-altering injuries.
In court papers filed this month, the mother details a harrowing experience she says turned what should have been a joyful moment into a nightmare that continues to haunt her family.
“I started my antenatal care at Makoanyane Military Hospital in 2023, when I was just three weeks pregnant,” she says, noting that initial tests showed no complications.
But as her pregnancy progressed, warning signs emerged.
“At six months, nurse Dingane told me my baby seemed too big,” she recalls.
She says by seven and eight months, nurses Lerotholi and Kolane warned her and her husband that the baby’s size could pose serious risks. Nurse Kolane reportedly said she would need a caesarean section, warning that otherwise the baby could suffer injury or malformation—or worse.
Despite these concerns, the mother says no decisive medical intervention was taken. Her due date of 11 February 2024 passed, and when she returned to the hospital in pain, she alleges she was dismissed.
“On 14 February, Dr Mahao confirmed the baby was very big but told me to go home and wait for contractions. I explained my lower abdominal pain, but he ignored me,” she says.
Two days later, early in the morning of 16 February, she went into labour.
“We arrived at the hospital around 6:20am. I found two male nurse soldiers, and when I explained I was there to deliver, they asked why I hadn’t come sooner. I told them I had come before, but I was told to return when contractions began,” she recounts.
She describes what followed as shocking neglect. Her waters broke, and the attending nurse began assisting her while in a hurry to finish his shift. She says the delivery was extremely difficult, with the nurse struggling to deliver the baby’s shoulder and twisting her head.
“He said my uterus was 7-8cm open and told me to wait a bit and keep on breathing in the contractions. He dismissed my husband from the ward and told him that he should wait outside because he does not need him in there.
“As I lay on the bed, he kept shouting going to the office asking if the nurses had arrived to come and help me because he was knocking off from work. He then continued helping me though he was in such a hurry to finish and knock off. My baby’s head then came out and he continued shouting that he was struggling to take out hand/shoulder and that I should stop making noise because it was not even the first time I was delivering a baby and he called the other Soldier to help him. I kept on pushing like I was told but it was very difficult. He kept on twisting the head of my baby. Minutes later he took her out and gave her to me.
“The baby was not crying and I asked him why she was not crying. He shook the baby and made her cry and then gave the baby to the other soldier to clothe her. He came back to me and told me he was about to suture me. I asked him who he was and I told him he was very rude to me. He laughed and asked me if his name was more important than what he was doing and I asked him to inject me to numb the pain. He did not respond but instead he went out again to check if other nurses had arrived to relieve him. He came back and continued to suture me. I still felt a lot of pain. When he was done, he put me on a drip and when it was finished, he told me to go to the other ward and feed the baby,” she states.
After delivery, she says they were informed that the baby had low blood sugar and was diagnosed with macrosomia and hypoglycemia. At home, the parents noticed further issues with the baby’s arm.
Subsequent examinations at Queen Mamohato Memorial Hospital and Queen Elizabeth (Maseru District) Hospital confirmed that the child had sustained a brachial plexus injury—a nerve damage occurring during birth.
Doctors explained that recovery could take years, and recommended occupational therapy. One nurse allegedly admitted that the injury was exactly the type of risk she had warned about if the baby was delivered naturally.
The mother says attempts to seek answers from Makoanyane Military Hospital were met with resistance.
“We were told Dr Mahao would investigate and revert. When we followed up, the hospital refused to release my medical records, saying they were the hospital’s property,” she claims.
She accuses the hospital of breaching its duty of care, citing improper management of shoulder dystocia during the delivery of a macrosomic infant (4.5kg), which she claims directly caused her child’s injuries.
The mother is seeking M3 million in damages, including compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, emotional distress, loss of amenity, and travel costs.