Woman sues ministry for N$750 000 after waiting-room birth
A Rehoboth woman is suing the health ministry for N$750 000 due to alleged medical negligence, claiming she was forced to give birth to a premature baby, who later died, in a waiting room at the Katutura State Hospital two years ago.
She also alleges that after she gave birth in full view of other patients, she was left alone for hours on a stretcher.
The case will be heard for mediation in April.
Ottilie Kaongo, who was 23 weeks pregnant at the time, was referred from the Rehoboth State Hospital to the Katutura State Hospital for medical treatment on 19 October 2023, according to court documents.
“I arrived at 16:30 and was left alone on a stretcher in the main patient waiting room. Eventually, I went into labour and gave birth prematurely to a live baby in full view of the public,” she says in her lawsuit.
Kaongo says she was left without supervision or medical assistance for an unreasonable amount of time.
The ministry denies the allegations.
It asserts that Kaongo was brought in by private paramedics and that hospital staff were not immediately informed of her arrival.
However, the ministry argues that once their staff became aware, they acted swiftly to attend to her.Traumatic birth
Kaongo claims that even after giving birth, she was ignored for several hours and left on a stretcher in the public area, covered in the aftermath of childbirth.
“After delivering, a staff member, whose name I do not know, cut the umbilical cord and took the baby to the maternity ward, while I lay there in my own blood and discharge, in full view of the public.”
A medical doctor, whose name she could not obtain, reportedly informed her much later that the baby – whose gender is not revealed in court documents – had died.
She claims the doctor did not provide the cause or circumstances surrounding the baby’s death.
“They brought me a form to sign, stating that the hospital would not release my newborn’s remains to me and that they would proceed with cremation,’” she states in her lawsuit.
They also refused to provide her with a death certificate or a medical report, she added.
The ministry, however, denies these claims, stating that the baby’s death was due to a miscarriage resulting from a non-viable pregnancy, rather than negligence.
She also alleges that after she gave birth in full view of other patients, she was left alone for hours on a stretcher.
The case will be heard for mediation in April.
Ottilie Kaongo, who was 23 weeks pregnant at the time, was referred from the Rehoboth State Hospital to the Katutura State Hospital for medical treatment on 19 October 2023, according to court documents.
“I arrived at 16:30 and was left alone on a stretcher in the main patient waiting room. Eventually, I went into labour and gave birth prematurely to a live baby in full view of the public,” she says in her lawsuit.
Kaongo says she was left without supervision or medical assistance for an unreasonable amount of time.
The ministry denies the allegations.
It asserts that Kaongo was brought in by private paramedics and that hospital staff were not immediately informed of her arrival.
However, the ministry argues that once their staff became aware, they acted swiftly to attend to her.Traumatic birth
Kaongo claims that even after giving birth, she was ignored for several hours and left on a stretcher in the public area, covered in the aftermath of childbirth.
“After delivering, a staff member, whose name I do not know, cut the umbilical cord and took the baby to the maternity ward, while I lay there in my own blood and discharge, in full view of the public.”
A medical doctor, whose name she could not obtain, reportedly informed her much later that the baby – whose gender is not revealed in court documents – had died.
She claims the doctor did not provide the cause or circumstances surrounding the baby’s death.
“They brought me a form to sign, stating that the hospital would not release my newborn’s remains to me and that they would proceed with cremation,’” she states in her lawsuit.
They also refused to provide her with a death certificate or a medical report, she added.
The ministry, however, denies these claims, stating that the baby’s death was due to a miscarriage resulting from a non-viable pregnancy, rather than negligence.
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