This archive report was first published on 4 September 2019.
Mama Lucy Hospital Accused of Medical Negligence ¶
Published on September 4, 2019, a 20-year-old woman from Mukuru Kwa Rueben slums has accused Mama Lucy Hospital of medical negligence after her newborn twins died due to alleged mistreatment.
Mercyline Ongachi, a 20-year-old woman, sought emergency maternity treatment at Mama Lucy Hospital on August 25 after experiencing premature labor. She had been transferred from Rueben Maternity clinic in search of emergency obstetrics and newborn care for her preterm twins.
However, upon arrival at Mama Lucy Hospital, Ongachi was left unattended, and her newborn twins died before receiving treatment. The attending health worker allegedly assessed the newborns and decided they were too young to survive, without consulting Ongachi, and placed them in a box instead of an incubator.
As if the mistreatment was not enough, Ongachi's identification documents, including her Linda Mama card, went missing, and she was detained at the hospital overnight due to an unpaid delivery fee of KSh 5,750.
Amnesty International Kenya has called on the hospital to release Ongachi's ID card and issue a public statement on the case. The agency has also urged the County Executive Committee member for health to investigate the matter.
According to Amnesty International, Ongachi was denied her right to the highest attainable standard of health, including emergency treatment. The agency stated, 'He chose not to place them in an incubator and tossed them in a box while still alive. There was no attempt to save the lives of the newborn twins.'
