Missed birth defect leads to N$1m lawsuit
She is suing the government, health ministry and Grootfontein State Hospital chief medical superintendent for a total of N$1 050 000 with the help of the Legal Assistance Centre for emotional and psychological shock and trauma.
JANA-MARI SMITH
WINDHOEK
A young mother whose baby lived for only six days is suing the health ministry and Grootfontein State Hospital for more than N$1 million for allegedly failing to detect a life-threatening physical birth defect.
Sarafina Kashekere Kaheta (18) gave birth to her daughter, Briana Gladys Kashekere, at her home during June 2020. Unknown to the young mother was the fact that her daughter was born with imperforate anus, a birth abnormality that can be fatal if not treated immediately.
Kaheta’s lawsuit, filed in late 2020, accused Grootfontein medical staff of failing to detect the defect, which ultimately led to her daughter’s unnecessary death.
She is suing the government, health ministry and Grootfontein State Hospital chief medical superintendent for a total of N$1 050 000 with the help of the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) for the emotional and psychological shock and trauma arising from the loss of her daughter.
Her lawsuit stated that her daughter was born at her home near Mangetti village in the early morning hours of 14 June 2020.
Family rushed the newborn and her mother to Grootfontein for medical treatment on the same day, where they were admitted.
The next day, Kaheta was informed that both were stable and they were discharged.
Gone too soon
However, two days after her birth, Briana began vomiting and looked sickly. Her mother said she immediately took her to the nearby Mbora clinic, where it was discovered that Briana had not passed stool since her birth, while she continued vomiting.
The pair were referred to Rundu State Hospital, and on 17 June, they were rushed to Windhoek’s Central Hospital.
On 18 June, the baby was taken to theatre for surgery, but on 19 June, Kaheta was informed that her daughter did not survive.
Negligent
The lawsuit listed a number of steps Kaheta claims medical staff at Grootfontein State Hospital failed to take that contributed to the fatally late discovery that her daughter was born “without an anal opening”.
She charged that in addition to failing to conduct a proper examination of her baby, staff failed to ensure that a medical doctor examine Briana to “confirm that she did not have any deformities”.
Moreover, they failed to establish the absence of an anal opening, and her daughter was discharged, “which further delayed medical attention that could have saved her life”.
“They negligently discharged Briana Gladys Kashekere, which further complicated her condition,” the court papers read.
Her daughter’s death caused “great emotional pain and suffering” to the first-time mother, the court was informed, and her suffering was aggravated by the “fact that the condition could have been corrected if it had been detected early”.
The defendants denied any wrongdoing.
Court ordered mediation failed in February last year, and the case is now heading to trial.
This week, High Court judge Eileen Rakow postponed the matter to 5 April for a pre-trial conference hearing.
WINDHOEK
A young mother whose baby lived for only six days is suing the health ministry and Grootfontein State Hospital for more than N$1 million for allegedly failing to detect a life-threatening physical birth defect.
Sarafina Kashekere Kaheta (18) gave birth to her daughter, Briana Gladys Kashekere, at her home during June 2020. Unknown to the young mother was the fact that her daughter was born with imperforate anus, a birth abnormality that can be fatal if not treated immediately.
Kaheta’s lawsuit, filed in late 2020, accused Grootfontein medical staff of failing to detect the defect, which ultimately led to her daughter’s unnecessary death.
She is suing the government, health ministry and Grootfontein State Hospital chief medical superintendent for a total of N$1 050 000 with the help of the Legal Assistance Centre (LAC) for the emotional and psychological shock and trauma arising from the loss of her daughter.
Her lawsuit stated that her daughter was born at her home near Mangetti village in the early morning hours of 14 June 2020.
Family rushed the newborn and her mother to Grootfontein for medical treatment on the same day, where they were admitted.
The next day, Kaheta was informed that both were stable and they were discharged.
Gone too soon
However, two days after her birth, Briana began vomiting and looked sickly. Her mother said she immediately took her to the nearby Mbora clinic, where it was discovered that Briana had not passed stool since her birth, while she continued vomiting.
The pair were referred to Rundu State Hospital, and on 17 June, they were rushed to Windhoek’s Central Hospital.
On 18 June, the baby was taken to theatre for surgery, but on 19 June, Kaheta was informed that her daughter did not survive.
Negligent
The lawsuit listed a number of steps Kaheta claims medical staff at Grootfontein State Hospital failed to take that contributed to the fatally late discovery that her daughter was born “without an anal opening”.
She charged that in addition to failing to conduct a proper examination of her baby, staff failed to ensure that a medical doctor examine Briana to “confirm that she did not have any deformities”.
Moreover, they failed to establish the absence of an anal opening, and her daughter was discharged, “which further delayed medical attention that could have saved her life”.
“They negligently discharged Briana Gladys Kashekere, which further complicated her condition,” the court papers read.
Her daughter’s death caused “great emotional pain and suffering” to the first-time mother, the court was informed, and her suffering was aggravated by the “fact that the condition could have been corrected if it had been detected early”.
The defendants denied any wrongdoing.
Court ordered mediation failed in February last year, and the case is now heading to trial.
This week, High Court judge Eileen Rakow postponed the matter to 5 April for a pre-trial conference hearing.
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