…woman claims M3 million over botched child birth
Moorosi Tsiane
THE Morija based Scott Hospital risks losing its credibility as the country’s top maternity hospital after being sued yet again for a botched child birth.
This time, the Lesotho Evangelical Church of Southern Africa (LECSA) owned hospital has been slapped with a M3 million claim by a Maseru woman who claims she lost her child due to negligence by the hospital’s staff while giving birth in August 2020.
As if that was not enough, she also accuses Scott Hospital of leaving her with a serious bladder injury that has ruined her life and left her unable to work.
Scott Hospital, Christian Health Association of Lesotho (CHAL), Ministry of Health, Attorney General Rapelang Motsieloa, are cited as first to fourth defendants respectively.
‘Makananelo Tšoanyane of Semphetenyane states in her High Court papers that on 20 August 2020, she was admitted at Scott Hospital from around 9am to give birth.
She said despite the hospital officials knowing that this was her third caesarean delivery, she was made to wait until 12 midnight without getting any help.
She said she was eventually attended by one nurse who tried to help her through labour. The unnamed nurse failed to deliver the baby. She asked to be assisted by one Dr Ramokuena but that did not happen. She suffered a stillbirth as a result.
“The cause of death (of my baby) was disclosed to be a macerated still birth,” Ms Tšoanyane states.
She said it was subsequently discovered that she had suffered a severe bladder injury (Vesigo Vaginal Fistula) caused by the poor handling of a Foley’s catheter during the botched delivery process.
She claims the poor handling of the catheter caused her to suffer serious vaginal leakage as she could no longer control her bladder function. She had to wear adult diapers.
On 28th August 2020, Scott Hospital wrote her a referral letter to go to Maluti Adventist Hospital to be reassessed. Unfortunately, she says she could not get any help there.
Ms Tšoanyane said she has been transferred from different hospitals in and out of the country since then, but her problem still persists.
“….I did return to Scott Hospital ….around the 22nd day of October 2020. I was referred to Queen Elizabeth II Hospital for tests wherein I was officially admitted as a patient at the said hospital in their urology department on 18th February 2021, still in regards with the Vesigo Vaginal Fistula I sustained under the care of Scott Hospital. It is unfortunate that I did not receive any medical treatment there as well.”
Ms Tšoanyane said on 31st July 2021, she was transferred to Villa Private hospital for “pain management and for a reassessment of my condition with regards to the fistula” but still did not get any help.
“I was ultimately referred to Universitas Annex Hospital (Bloemfontein) on or about the 11th day of October 2021, wherein I finally received medical assistance and was sutured. Unfortunately, a few weeks later the suture ruptured, and I went back to living in constant pain and wearing adult diapers.”
Her life has never been the same again.
She said she used to work at the factories, earning M2 000 a month. After the “negligence” she suffered at Scott Hospital, she could no longer earn a living.
The “negligent acts” of the Scott Hospital staff had rendered her “completely dysfunctional”. She was in constant pain and could no longer control her bladder. She has been out of work from August 2020 to date, she claims.
Ms Tšoanyane therefore wants Scott Hospital to give her M3 million in compensation for pain and suffering as a direct result of the injuries she sustained at the hospital and for the loss of her baby.
She had already put her demand before Scott hospital but was ignored, she claims.
Her lawsuit follows that of a Morija policewoman who suing Scott hospital for a staggering M10 million for alleged medical negligence which she claims left her urinary system uncontrollable. She also claims she has suffered abnormal menstrual cycles for the past eight years after she was mistreated at the hospital while giving birth. Her case was filed in November last year and is still pending before the High Court.