Doctor sued for negligence

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The parents of the child whose arm was amputated filed a lawsuit against the negligent doctor claiming to be compensated US$60 000

Levison Makate and his wife Rebecca Masara filed a lawsuit against Harare Hospital and the doctor who neglectfully left a tourniquet strapped on their son’s arm after a drip was removed through which the malnourished baby was having water and nutrients passed into his body.

The parents said the hospital together with the doctor who was looking after their child, Sam Makate, neglected their son to the extent that they ended up appealing to some NGOS

The parents said they did meet expanses that amounted to US$60 000 and if it was not of the doctor’s negligance they could not have been into such expenses.

In an interview with The Sunday Mail crew yesterday Everson Chatambudza of Madambanuki and Associate Legal Practitioners said the two have approached them and they are filing a lawsuit against the doctor who amputated their client’s son Sam.

“I was with Sam’s parents and they said they want the doctor to compensate them for the loss of arm of their child since the hospital just dumped them after they were discharged while the child was in agony because of the amputated arm,” said Mr Chatambudza.

The incident started on June 24 this year when Sam’s mother checked him into the pediatric ward at Harare Hospital after he was diagnosed with kwashiorkor and dehydration at Glenview 2 Satellite clinic.

Sam’s mother identified that his son was having a purple hand after the rehydration process had started and was told by the nurses that it was because of lack of oxygen.

The truth was that the nurses had left a tourniquet strapped into Sam’s arm for three days and this had stopped the flow of blood in the body’s arm resulting in it becoming gangrenous.

The only option left was to amputate it to avoid further infection which could have eventually caused his death. The matter had since been reported to the director of curatives in the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Mr Chris Tapfumaneyi who said the matter being referred to the AG’s office and the Health Professions Council for determination on the circumstances that led to such an incident. Mr Makate said he is geared to fight tooth and nail until his son is compensated.