Source: New Era
The Oshakati Intermediate Hospital has suspended the two nurses and three support service staff members who were on duty in the maternity ward on the day Adeleheid Jacob lost her baby.

The hospital took the decision to suspend the two nurses in consultation with the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the Public Service Commission (PSC).

According to a statement issued by the acting hospital superintendent Dr Josephine Agustinus, the two nurses were suspended last Thursday along with three support services staff pending a top-level investigation.

Adelheid Jacob's baby boy died after she gave birth on the floor of the Oshakati Maternity Ward corridor on Easter Sunday. The mother informed the nurses on duty that she was in labour and needed urgent assistance, but they allgedly ignored her. She later reportedly asked them to direct her to the delivery room, but they arrogantly told her to find her own way there. She delivered the baby in the ward's corridor, while attempting to get to the delivery room by herself. The infant died during the unaided delivery that took place without professional help from a trained mid-wife.

The infant was bleeding from the mouth and nose, which was due to the impact from falling to the floor head first, it is believed.

According to acting hospital superintendent Agustinus, the nurses were suspended to allow a smooth investigation into the incident, which is expected to be completed within 10 days. Agustinus however maintained that the suspended staff members remain innocent until proven guilty of misconduct or negligence after which they would be charged.

She added that if found guilty the culprits would either be dismissed or lose their practice rights or licences to practice. The suspension of the nurses came just a day after Minister of Health and Social Services Dr Richard Kamwi instructed the Permanent Secretary Andrew Ndishihi to appoint an independent team to investigate the allegations of misconduct and negligence by the two nurses and the support service staff members.

Kamwi held a press conference last week at the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital where Ndishishi confirmed that a team of four doctors led by Oshakati-based private medical practitioner Dr Elizabeth Kamati had already been appointed and that they were due to start with the investigation today.
None of the members of the independent investigating team are on the payroll of the Ministry of Health and they are all from the northern regions. "Once the investigation is carried out, we will inform the president (Hifikepunye Pohamba). Action will be taken and the nation will be informed accordingly. The story of meme Adelheid Jacob has touched me a lot, not only as a Namibian and a father, but this unfortunate incident took place in the health facility that I am entrusted to coordinate, here in the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital," he said.

Kamwi maintained that although he had already received a report from the hospital, a team of independent medical experts would be needed to investigate and the investigation would be carried out within the ambit of the law. "We are not living in the jungle - we have laws that must be followed. If ever there has been any negligence of any kind, those responsible will be brought to book," said Kamwi. Kamwi has extended his condolences to the Jacobs family.

The Oshakati Intermediate Hospital was also found wanting in the recent report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry, which was appointed last year to look into the activities, affairs, management and operations of the Ministry of Health and Social Services.

The report revealed, among other things, that sewerage water pipes near the maternity ward of the Oshakati Hospital "have been blocked for almost five years and sewerage is constantly [flowing] between the surrounding buildings."

The commission further pointed out that Namibia faces serious challenges in the human resources field. "Staffing ratios are far from ideal in all health facilities. Health workers repeatedly stated that in (state) hospitals, it is common to find one nurse looking after a ward of 20 to 30 patients alone especially at night." The commission further noted that the quality of patient care in public health facilities in Namibia leaves a lot to be desired, while the overcrowding of patients needing urgent attention leads to nurses experiencing what is called "burnout".

"In other words the nurses are overworked and this results in their negative careless attitude to patients," the report states. New Era's Junior Ambassador New Era's Junior Ambassador for the week that started on March 11 is Grade 9 learner Caroline Cupido of De Duine Senior Secondary School. The 15-year-old Cupido participated in the New Era SMS competition encouraging students at secondary schools to read the newspaper every day and SMS the day's headline they like the most to 0817974304. Each week's winner receives N$200 in cash and N$300 for their school. The competition continues until the end of the year.

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