A doctor at Chipinge District Hospital is under investigation after a failed Caesarean Section in which he allegedly sealed the womb with a leaking bladder, causing complications that led to the death of 35-year-old Priscilla Mlambo.
Mlambo passed away last month at Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital, where she had been transferred for specialised care.
She left behind her three-week-old baby, now being cared for by her heartbroken husband.
In a phone interview with The Manica Post, Simangaliso Masibeke, her husband, shared the details of the events that led to his wife’s tragic death. He said:
My wife underwent a Caesarean Section at Chipinge District Hospital on March 11, and three days later, she developed a swollen abdomen. When we returned to the hospital, they claimed she had excess fluids in her abdomen.
They drained the fluids, but three days later, she experienced similar symptoms. She could not eat. We took her to Mutare, where a different doctor examined her and discovered that the Caesarean Section had been botched in Chipinge.
The doctor in Mutare found that my wife did not have enough blood in her system to undergo another operation.
We learnt that the doctor who performed the initial Caesarean Section had perforated the bladder and tied the uterus together with the bladder before closing the womb.
When we visited the hospital last Thursday during lunch, we could not speak to her. Tragically, when we returned for the evening visit, we were informed that my wife had passed away.
When contacted for a comment, Chipinge District Medical Officer (DMO), Dr. Ozimmo Matekenya, told The Manica Post that he was too busy to discuss the matter.
However, a leaked audio message, allegedly from Dr. Matekenya communicating with fellow doctors in a WhatsApp group, acknowledged the mistake made by the medical practitioner who performed the Caesarean Section. It reads:
Good afternoon doctors! I am just receiving a call from a doctor in Mutare. There is a patient by the name Priscilla Mlambo who had a Caesarean Section. I think about two weeks ago. This patient was referred to Victoria Chitepo Provincial Hospital two days ago, with a history of abdominal distension.
The patient also had reduced urinal output. This patient was transferred from here (Chipinge District Hospital).
So, according to the presentation made to me by the medical practitioner in Mutare, this patient was transferred there with a HB of nine, (hemoglobin (Hb). Her level of 9 g/dL is considered low and could indicate anaemia, which is a condition where the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen to tissues), only to do a check FBC it was eight.
They took the patient to theatre to do exploratory laparotomy (a surgical procedure where the abdomen is opened to allow a surgeon to visually examine the organs and tissues within). They were thinking that this patient was having an abscess (localised collection of pussy, often caused by a bacterial infection, that can occur anywhere in the body, including the skin). Pelvic abscess.
However, upon opening, they noted that there was no abscess at all, but the bladder was actually leaking into the peritoneum. Pakangoedzwawo kusungwa sungwa kudii dii (There was an effort made to tie the area).
Postoperatively, the patient collapsed and died. So the recommendation from the obstetrician was that you guys perforating the bladder is not a problem. Let us check whether we have perforated the bladder.
Just closing without repairing the bladder, that is where the crime starts. If there is anyone who did this Caesarean Section, please we need to talk just as a learning curve. We need to establish whether really the doctor who did the Caesarean Section noticed that the bladder had been perforated.
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