adminLiberty Dube
OLD Mutare Mission Hospital is in the eye of a storm amid revelations that some medical personnel at the United Methodist Church-run infirmary are ill-treating patients, with the latest case being of a 10-year-old boy who was last weekend allegedly subjected to physical abuse.
The patient (name withheld) was admitted at the hospital after sustaining deep injuries following a fire incident at his parents’ home recently.
The boy is lucky to be alive after umbers fell from a baking pot onto the blankets where he was sleeping. He sustained serious burns on both legs and left hand fingers.
His physical abuse at the hands of Old Mutare Hospital staff members was more like jumping from a frying pan into a fire as it is alleged that his parents took time to send him to hospital citing religious beliefs. He was only taken to hospital when his condition deteriorated.
When The Manica Post visited the health institution on Wednesday morning, the boy confirmed the abuse he had suffered at the hands of an unidentified nurse aide. He could not stand on his feet as he was in pain.
When contacted for comment, the hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr Tendai Manyeza, said he had also received an anonymous call from a person who raised the same allegations about the boy’s abuse.
“I have heard about that case. Someone who could not identify himself called me telling me the same thing that you are talking about. We will look into the matter to ascertain if it is true. Since we are short staffed, I earlier on requested that one of the relatives or his mother would stay around near the patient. I would really want to know who the person (nurse aide) could be,” said Dr Manyeza.
He added that it was their first time to receive such news concerning ill-treatment of patients at the institution.
The boy’s mother, Tambudzai, in an interview, said although she came a few days after the incident, she realised James was in pain and could often cry particularly during bath times.
She was reluctant to comment on the matter and could neither confirm of deny the allegations saying the incident could have happened during her absence.
“Maybe he was ill-treated during my absence. I was in Muchena, Penhalonga when he was admitted here and I came here on Monday. All along he was with my relatives. He just told me that he could argue with nurses particularly during bathing and wound dressing times since it was painful. The nurses also told me that he could cry especially during the early days when puss was coming out. I can’t say much about the issue you are talking about,” she said before accompanying our news crew to the children’s ward.
The boy also confirmed the abuse in the presence of her mother and the news crew that he was indeed beaten by one nurse aide whose identity could not be readily attained.
“I sometimes cry because it will be painful when the nurses attend to my wounds. One of them beat me up once,” said the visibly pained Mundenda Primary School pupil.
A concerned citizen who visited The Manica Post, said: “I witnessed the sad incident when I visited an ill relative admitted at the hospital on Sunday. I was so pained by the incident and I ended up crying. The nurse aide beat up the boy with a switch and it was a sorry site. I hope the hospital authorities will investigate this issue and bring the culprit to book.”
Online Reporter