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George Maponga in Masvingo
A Masvingo court has acquitted Masvingo Provincial Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Noel Zulu who was facing culpable homicide charges after he allegedly left an abdominal swab inside the stomach of a woman who later died in July last year after her abdomen started swelling.
Regional magistrate Mr Bishard Chineka ruled that there was no case of negligence against Dr Zulu( 45).
The State had alleged that Dr Zulu caused the death of Gladys Sibanda of Matowa Village, Zimuto.
Dr Zulu performed a surgical operation on Sibanda sometime in 2015 after a scan showed that her liver was swollen.
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After the surgical operation, Sibanda started feeling chest pains and her stomach began to swell.
However, she failed to raise enough funds for another procedure as recommended by Dr Zulu.
She eventually died last year.
A post-mortem conducted on Sibanda’s body by Dr Godfrey Zimbwa confirmed the presence of an abdominal swab measuring 30cm by 30 cm, among other things.
The State charged Dr Zulu for culpable homicide amid suspicion that the swab had caused Sibanda’s death.
However, Mr Chineka ruled that from the evidence submitted by Dr Zimbwa, Sibanda had succumbed to liver cirrhosis.
Online Reporter
Bongani Ndlovu