My helper’s 2 day old baby died because the nurse at Mtendere Clinic labour ward denied her medical attention for failure to produce a copy of her and her husband’s NRC.
The baby was born on Saturday and discharged on Sunday. She developed a fever at night but was okay by morning, breastfeeding and pooping normally. The mother decided to take her to Mtendere Clinic after she noticed the fever was looming again. When she got there, she was referred to the labour ward (because the baby was a neonate) when she got there, she told the nurse that her 2 day old baby was not well.
The nurse told her she could not be attended to until she produced her and her husband’s copies of NRCs. She called home and asked someone to bring the copies. She later noticed the baby was gasping, she went back to beg another nurse to attend to the child and assured them that the NRC would be there soon. The other nurse took the child and asked why she was waiting for an NRC. The mother explained what she was told, but sadly and heartbreakingly so, the baby could not breath anymore. All they could tell her at this point was that they had to call a doctor to certify the baby dead.
I am going on a fact finding mission. I want to know what could be so unequivocally important about an NRC that she would rather a baby dies. (picture for illustration purposes only)
My Comment, we need the Ministry of Health to Fire the Nurse that refused to attend to the woman. This is sad, the work culture of some staff is unprofessional, pure wickedness