Family in pain as mother dies while giving birth at MTRH;Hospital denies negligence
Bernard Gitonga brother to the late Njoki Kariuki accompanied by their Pathologist Dr. Titus Nkulumu at the MTRH farewell home/Photo James Gitaka
The Family of a 37 year old woman Loice Njoki Kariuki who died shortly after undergoing a cesarean delivery at the Moi Teaching and referral Hospital, now claim negligence by doctors at the facility cost the life of their loved one.
Bernard Gitonga the brother to the deceased, claim their sister was admitted at the hospital on 3Rd this week and was taken to theater for delivery.
The deceased had delivered a bouncing baby girl weighing 4.3kg before collapsing.
The family through their independent pathologist Dr.Titus Nkulumu conducted a postmortem examination in the company of the MTRH pathologist Dr.Nalianya Wekesa,but until 5:30 pm they had not received the patients file from the hospital in order to correlate the clinical notes to their findings,
“We suspect my sister could have died of negligence , we have been trying to get the patient’s file to help our pathologist in coming up with the final report, that was not availed,up until now we have only been informed Njoki could have died of shock”Opined Bernard.
Dr. Titus Nkulumu family’s independent pathologist
The Family’s pathologist Dr. Titus Nkulumu noted that the patient died of shock, and samples had been taken for further investigations.
However the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital CEO Dr. Wilson K. Aruasa noted that the patient arrived at the facility exactly at 12:45 pm and spent 8 hours and 25 Min at the facility before being pronounced dead at 9:00Pm.
Dr. Aruasa noted that Njoki was 10 Months pregnant and provided an informed consent for the caesarean section which was conducted by experienced consultant obstetrician/ gynecologist and after a successful surgery she was shown her baby and immediately collapsed,
“This was a sudden death on the operating table and up to this point in time no one knows for sure what the cause of her death was, We all await the postmortem report including tests and analysis of the samples taken from the body of the late, we did our best in caring for her up to the time of delivery by caesarean section,we authorized and the patient’s file was given to the family pathologist at 7:00pm and we cooperated fully with the family during the postmortem” Said Dr. Aruasa.
We want to know from the analysis of lung samples/ aspirates if this was an amniotic fluid embolism, This can happen during normal childbirth or at CS delivery and no one can predict or prevent it. It’s just not clear what could have caused her sudden death. Added the Hospital Boss
“While we condole with the family on this loss, we want to set the record straight that MTRH did its best and within the Standard of Care while attending to the late” Said Dr Aruasa.
Late Njoki’s baby is in good health and under good care.
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