Doctors’ body to decide IHK’s fate on death of journalist Nambaziira

The Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council will this month declare if International Hospital Kampala (IHK) has a case to answer in regards the death of television personality Nuliat Nambaziira.

Nambaziira, formerly a  news anchor at WBS television, died on  May 4 due to  uncontrolled bleeding after giving birth.

She had undergone a cesarean birth a week earlier but later developed postnatal complications prompting a series of other surgeries but her family complained about the circumstances surrounding her death.

The East African Sub-regional Support Initiative for the Advancement of Women (EASSI) which was her last place of work would later announce a legal action against the hospital citing negligence.

Speaking to the Nile Post on Thursday, Dr. Ssentongo Katumba, the registrar Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners’ Council said they had received complaints and that their ethics and disciplinary committee would sit to determine the fate of the hospital in regards the matter.

“Nambaziira’s case was brought by her husband complaining that the patient was not well managed at IHK and on November 23, after hearing from both sides, we shall call both of them, look at evidence available and decided if there is a case against IHK,” said Dr. Ssentongo.

He explained that the procedure is that if someone complains to them, the accused is given opportunity to defend themselves in the matter.

“We wrote to IHK and have since responded giving us all details about the patient which include the case file,”Ssentongo said.

The UMDPC registrar said in their response, IHK said they managed Nambaziira’s delivery, discharged her but on returning home, she developed some complications and was admitted to a certain clinic in Nansana where she stayed for two days before she was returned after her case deteriorated.

“She had lost a lot of blood and the hospital asked the husband to allow them check what caused the deterioration of the situation but he didn’t respond and unfortunately patient died. They say she didn’t die out of their negligence.”

According to the doctors’ body, if the preliminary committee will look at evidence available and that it they find out that there is a case to answer by IHK, the case would be forwarded to a tribunal for hearing.