Nakivale (Uganda) : a Burundian woman refugee and a newborn baby die following medical negligence

The tragedy took place at the Nakivale refugee camp in Uganda. Burundian refugees speak of medical negligence that led to the death of a mother and her newborn baby. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

The tragedy occurred at the Nyarugugu central hospital in the center of the Nakivale camp in Uganda. It was on Monday, October 14. The health facility is managed by Medical Team International. Its staff is accused of corruption and nepotism.

“The victim, a Burundian woman, had come to give birth to her first child. A nurse demanded that she pay a certain amount (commonly called the cost of buying a soda) to be operated on urgently. As she had no means, she gave nothing and waited for the services to have pity because she was crying for help, in vain,” explains a close family member.

“Instead of being operated on, she was put in the delivery room. And suddenly she succumbed on the bed from the severe pain,” say witnesses. The victim’s husband fainted immediately. He had to be admitted to the hospital until Wednesday evening, according to a medical volunteer.

This is the third wife of this Burundian refugee, who died in the same circumstances, according to his relatives.

In anger, refugees almost took justice into their own hands had it not been for the intervention of the police. They are demanding investigations and exemplary punishments or even legal proceedings “for medical negligence” against employees of this hospital.

Furious, they recommend that the UNHCR replace its partner MTI (Medical Team International) with “serious humanitarian organizations that care about the lives of refugees”.

The Nakivale camp has more than 140,000 refugees, including more than 33,000 Burundians.