Online Reporter
Arron Nyamayaro
A MAN, who is mourning the death of his pregnant wife who died during an operation at Parirenyatwa Hospital, has clashed with staff in the maternity ward over the body of a toddler he was asked to collect.
Tawanda Sengu, 34, of Eastview, refused to accept the body he was ordered to take by the hospital staff.
He claims that a doctor told him that his child died in his wife’s womb.
He claims he was called by another doctor, while he was burying his wife, who told him that he should come to collect the body from the hospital.
His wife Lizzy Katsiga died while she was being operated on.
Sengu said Lizzy experienced labour pains and was taken to a clinic in Mabvuku where she was examined and referred to Parirenyatwa Maternity Hospital on May 5.
She was admitted at the hospital.
The following day, Sengu said a doctor advised him that Lizzy lost a lot of blood, during the operation, and had died.
He claimed that the same doctor, who was in the company of three nurses, also told him that his baby died in the womb, three days before his wife’s death.
Sengu said the next day, his family collected Lizzy’s body but the hospital staff allegedly did not advise them where the body of the child was.
He said this prompted the family to suspect the baby might not have died, as claimed.
Sengu said Lizzy was laid to rest at their rural home in Mutoko on May 28.
He claimed while he was still at the grave site, he received a call from another doctor asking him whether he had been shown the body of the toddler.
Sengu said he later confronted the hospital authorities.
“We refused to accept the baby the authorities wanted to give us.
“We collected the body of Lizzy without an explanation on the whereabouts of the baby,” Sengu said.
“They phoned on May 28 saying they had located the baby.
“On June 9, this was the day we failed to agree about the baby they wanted us to take.
“We want DNA tests to prove that the baby is mine.
“We are so angry about this and we have taken our case to the police.”
Harare provincial police spokesperson, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, confirmed the case.
“Police are investigating a missing foetus case at a local hospital.
“The bereaved family claimed that hospital authorities failed to surrender the foetus on the same day following the death of the expecting mother,” Insp. Chakanza said.
Lizzy is survived by her husband and three children.
No comment could be obtained from authorities at Parirenyatwa Hospital.
