Kawempe National Referral Workers To Be Charged After Rats Ate Dead Baby

After allegedly failing to properly care for a dead body, the administrators of a mortuary at Kawempe National Referral Hospital in Kampala are likely to face negligence charges.

The corpse of a premature baby who passed away at the hospital earlier in the week was eaten by rats, according to a postmortem report that the police released on Thursday of last week.

According to Patrick Onyango, a spokesman for the Kampala Metropolitan Police, the baby’s body was reportedly eaten by rats while it was in the mortuary.

“Rats and other rodent predators were responsible for the head injuries. This occurred after the infant’s passing. According to Mr. Onyango, on July 27 the mortuary’s management could face negligence charges.

The chair of the Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners Council, Prof Joel Okullo, stated on Tuesday of last week that if health professionals are found guilty, they may be subject to sanctions in the rule book of the council, including a reprimand, suspension, and erasure from the registry, rendering them unable to practise.

However, Mr. Onyango claimed that while investigations are still ongoing, no arrests have yet been made.

He further disclosed that according to the findings, the infant perished from a condition known as birth asphyxia.

According to Mr. Onyango, the ailment is caused by low oxygen levels in the body, which is typically the result of hard labour.

Early this week, after a couple inquired about the circumstances surrounding the death of their newborn, who had allegedly had a portion of his head eaten by rats, police assumed the investigation of the hospital in issue.

Rites of passage

Residents of Mutundwe, a suburb of Kampala, Ms. Yvonne Ainembabazi, 20, and Mr. Sulaiman Waswa, 30, claim that a severe wound on their infant’s left side of the face was inflicted for ceremonial purposes because it is contradictory with the reported rat bites.

One member of the hospital staff allegedly argued that the intrusion was caused by rat bites and blamed the latter for leaving the body without a casket when the bereaved parents and relatives demanded an explanation for the unusual wound on the corpse.

On Monday, July 24, police moved the baby’s body to the Kampala Capital City Mortuary at Mulago Hospital for an autopsy, and the investigation into the incident got underway.

Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) samples were also taken from the baby’s mother, Ms. Ainembabazi, to determine whether or not she was the child’s biological mother.

Police have not yet made the DNA results public.

Negligence

If it is true that the baby’s head was eaten by rats, Ms. Sylvia Namubiru, the executive director of Legal Aid Service Providers’ Network, said, then the hospital violated its obligation to care for the deceased body.

“We honour the deceased. They must be handled with respect. If it is true that the body was left out for the rats to devour, the hospital was negligent, according to Dr. Namubiru.

She noted that if the grieving family is unsatisfied with the postmortem findings, they can also hire a lawyer to conduct their own independent investigations and determine whether they have grounds for legal action.

They must look for information. Are there rats in the hospital? among other things, when and under what conditions did the rats consume the body. to determine whether the facts support or refute prior investigations,” she said.

Former State Minister for Health and current chair of the Uganda Women Parliamentary Association, Ms. Sarah Opendi, called the situation regrettable and said the institution should be held accountable for its carelessness.

“How is it possible that rats are even present in the hospital? I anticipate a hospital to be a spotless space free of vermin, bugs, etc. Because of this, operating money have been allocated to clean and fumigate the hospital, according to Mr. Opendi, the Tororo District Woman MP.

She continued, “The hospital should pay for this negligence, even though no amount of money can replace a child’s life.”

Kawempe National Referral Hospital’s executive director, Dr. Emmanuel Byaruhanga, declined to comment on the current situation because police were looking into it.

Dr. Byaruhanga wrote in a WhatsApp message, “Please, this matter is under police [investigation].”

The Ministry of Health’s spokesperson, Mr. Emmanuel Ainebyoona, commented on the conclusions of the postmortem report and expressed regret that such an incident took place.

To get rid of rodents, Mr. Ainebyoona, however, promised that the Ministry of Health will collaborate with Kawempe Hospital management.

The deceased’s father, Mr. Sulaiman Waswa, has pleaded with Ms. Robinah Nabbanja, the prime minister, to get involved.

What species of rat was that? I implore the intervention of our adored Prime Minister so that the truth can be spoken. We ask for the triumph of justice,” Mr. Waswa stated.

Journey of a couple
According to the police statement, Ms. Ainembabazi and Mr. Wasswa were referred from Lwanyanga Clinic to Kawempe National Referral Hospital on July 20.

It is said that the mother gave birth to a healthy baby boy at the clinic who was about eight and a half months old, but they were recommended to have the child placed in an incubator.

The infant was given oxygen on July 22. Around 21:30, the infant was pronounced dead and transported to the hospital mortuary.

Report on the Morgue’s Sanitation

Several trash cans are located throughout the hospital’s grounds to ensure proper waste management.

But next to the hospital mortuary, a pile of medical and non-medical rubbish wrapped in black and red polythene bags stands solid and is a surefire way to draw rats.

The bodies in the mortuary are stored in the refrigerator, according to a staff member this magazine spoke with yesterday. The infant was described as being yellow with a large cut on the left side of the head by the police in a statement from last week.

The police added that a death enquiry file was created and a mortuary attendant’s statement was obtained.