MBALE, UGANDA: A student nurse at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital is under fire after a two-year-old child whom she injected with the wrong drug lost his right hand.
The family of the two-year child now wants the nurse to be held answerable for being reckless and the health facility to compensate them for the health damage inflicted on their child.
Speaking to DailyMonitor on Thursday, the victim’s parents said a doctor at the hospital has since recommended amputation of the child’s hand after it developed dry tissue and started peeling off two weeks ago, and the hand was amputated yesterday (Wednesday).
The parents allege that the said nurse injected the child with a wrong drug while receiving treatment at the facility.
“The child had been diagnosed with an anaemic condition. Blood was infused through his hand but a few minutes later, the hand started swelling,” Ms Sarah Naigaga, the grandmother of the victim and a resident of Lwaboga Village, Nawanjofu Sub-country in Butaleja District, said.
Ms Naigaga said the child fell sick and they took him to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital for medication two weeks ago. She added that they were discharged from the hospital and went back home but the child’s hand started swelling.
“After seeing my grandson’s hand continuing to swell, I was forced to go to Busolwe General Hospital in Butaleja District, where I was referred back to Mbale hospital,” she said.
The teary Naigaga said they are currently stranded at the hospital without money to buy drugs.
“The doctors made it worse by confirming that my grandson’s hand will be amputated in order to save his life,” she said, before calling upon the authorities to intervene and investigate the matter.
Ms Christine Mulongo, the victim’s mother, said her son is going through a lot of pain.
“I regret coming to the hospital. You can imagine my son losing a hand at this tender age,” she said.
According to a general laboratory test form from the facility dated September 28, the health workers requested the victim to test for blood group and complete blood count (CBC).
A clinical notes continuation sheet dated October 3, confirmed the victim was supposed to be amputated on Monday.
A senior doctor at the facility, who preferred anonymity in order to speak freely, confirmed that the victim could have been injected with either a wrong or expired drug.
Another doctor, who also requested not to be named, said the nurse could have cut off the blood supply in the baby’s hand during the procedure.
“She may have tied the victim’s hand for a long time, which affected the blood supply. That is medical neglect,” he said.
Mr Muzaham Musosa Hamila, a lecturer at Lira University, who is also an uncle of the victim, said the hospital should compensate the family for causing permanent disability to the child.
“Our son needs justice. It’s painful that we took the baby to get relieved from pain but instead they [health workers] worsened everything,” Mr Musosa said.
Hospital Speaks out.
Dr Julian Abeso, the head of the paediatric section at Mbale Regional Referral Hospital, said on Monday she was not aware of the incident.
Dr Stephen Obbo, the hospital director, said they are carrying out investigations into the matter.
“I am still investigating the case since we are getting a lot of contradictory information. I don’t have the full details yet,’’ he said.
Credit: Yahudu Kitunzi | Monitor
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