Nurse suspended over neglect

A nursing officer at Muhima Hospital has been suspended for one month, over poor handling of an expectant mother, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health.

Saturday, March 31, 2012

A nursing officer at Muhima Hospital has been suspended for one month, over poor handling of an expectant mother, according to a statement from the Ministry of Health.It said the nurse failed to provide basic care to the expectant mother, leaving her to give birth in the corridors of the hospital.The Ministry of Health welcomed the hospital’s decision, with Health minister, Dr Agnes Binagwaho, saying that "every person seeking services from health centres is entitled to good care as a right”, according to the communique.  "Extending this good care is also one of the key principles that define our profession, especially as health service providers. Incidents where it is proved that there was clear professional negligence or failure to handle patient/customers in a manner expected of us as professionals is not something the sector will tolerate,” she is quoted as saying. Binagwaho, however, called on the general public not to wait for the last minute to seek treatment or services from health facilities as the case was with the expectant mother. She said that if there are cases of negligence, the public should quickly inform management of health facilities or the ministry directly through a toll free line  – 114.