The Uganda Dental and Medical Practitioners’ Council has set June 1st as the date for hearing a case in which, the family of the late Judith Nansubuga against Rubaga Hospital. The family dragged Rubaga Hospital before the council following the death if Nansubuga on March 05, where she was admitted on February 18th with pregnancy-related complications.
Nansubuga reportedly died due to excessive bleeding after when Doctors at Rubaga Hospital failed to control her blood pressure after she was induced to evacuate a lifeless fetus. A death certificate, signed by Doctor Joseph Ahimbisibwe, states that Nansubuga died of severe Pre-Eclampsia Toxaemia (PET) and primary postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).
PET is a condition in which high blood pressure and fluid retention prevents normal growth of the unborn baby forcing abortion or premature birth, while PPH is a an emergency condition characterized by excessive bleeding after normal or caesarean delivery. Now, Katumba Sentongo, the Registrar Uganda Dental and Medical Practitioners’ Council says that they met on Monday and decided to hold a public hearing into the case.
He explains that the council has prepared summon both the deceased’s relatives and Rubaga hospital to present their cases. Michael Kayongo, the husband to the late Nansubuga has welcomed the decision by the council hoping that justice will be done against Dr. Jjumba Mukasa and other doctors whose action led to death of his wife and his unborn baby.
Before petitioning the medical council, the management of Rubaga Hospital and the family of Nansubuga held a meeting to resolve the dispute in vain after the hospital refused to take responsibility for her death. In the meeting, Dr. Adolf Diefenhardt, the Medical Director Rubaga Hospital admitted that there were mistakes in handling the patient but said the hospital was not responsible for her death. The hospital also unsuccessfully tried to deter the family from speaking to the media about the matter.
