A man has sued the Turkana county government over the death his wife in childbirth.
Paul Nangiro, the widower of Hellen Losusi, has sued the Lodwar County Hospital medical superintendent, the county government and county secretary.
He alleges negligence led to the death of his wife on May 29 and said she was not attended to.
Losusi, 34, arrived already in labour at 4pm and pleaded for help but died on the floor at 10pm, relatives said.
“Losusi had approached the hospital in a very good health to give birth but because of negligence of health workers she ended up leaving the hospital in a casket,”Nangiro’s lawyer Ekusi Loree said.
“The case has been filed and three respondents have been served,” he said.
Last week on Thursday, Nangiro won the first round at Lodwar High Court.
Nangiro had applied for orders directing the medical superintendent to release the deceased’s medical health card (Linda Mama card) and other relevant documents.
Lawyer Loree had also sought orders for access to the maternal death audit report, duty roster of nurses and healthcare workers in charge of the maternity wing when she died.
High Court Judge James Wakiaga granted the applications.
He also issued a restraining order against the transfer of hospital personnel, pending discovery in the lawsuit.
The management of the Lodwar County Referral Hospital did not pick calls. It is county policy that only the CEC for Health can comment on hospital issues.
Health executive Jane Ajele said she is aware of the matter but cannot comment because she has not yet been served with court papers. Once served she can comment, she said.
“The hospital declined to give the satisfactory reason for the death of my wife and child, but I have faith in the court to deliver justice,” Nangiro told reporters on Monday outside the Lodwar law courts.
The pregnant woman had travelled more than 50km from her home at Nasirikia village in Kalokol, Turkana Central, to Lodwar County Referral Hospital. She was to deliver her fourth child.
Relatives said she was not attended to by health workers and died on the floor at 10pm.
Neighour Rose Akai, who accompanied her, said the woman had pleaded for help from nurses in the labour ward for six hours to no avail.
(Edited by V. Graham)
