Dr. Bonaventure Hishamunda, a doctor at the Byumba Hospital, and Perpetua Mbabazi, head of nursing department at the University Hospital of Kigali (CHUK) are being held at the police station of Kicukiro.
The Two are charged with unethical conducts of leaving surgical material in the womb of Zawadi Murekatete, a Congolese refugee living in Gihembe refugee camp in Gicumbi district.
On January 10th 2010, Zawadi Murekatete, had gone to the hospital to give birth in Byumba hospital but after a Caesarean birth, the two doctors who conducted the surgery purposely left medical devices in his belly (a needle, and cotton gloves).
Zawadi’s mother announced that her daughter had these instruments in her stomach for three years and nine months, until doctors at the Central University of Kigali (CHUK) managed to save her though the victim remained with complications.
“They did it voluntarily. I do not understand how a normal person would do that, but am happy that doctors discovered the cause of her pain, “reported the mother of Zawadi.
Dr. Bonaventure Hishamunda, who is currently detained in police custody, says the accusations are absurd, saying that a person’s stomach cannot bear those medical devices for a period like that.
Besides the crime of deliberately leaving medical instruments in the stomach of Zawadi, there are other five other women who have suffered serious consequences after being treated by Dr. Hishamunda and one of them died.
Superintendent Theos Badege, spokesman for the national police said that Perpetua Mbabazi was arrested for further investigations as she was reported to have thrown the found instruments before reporting to authorities.
Supt – Badege emphasizes that the loss of these indicators delayed the investigation. He however urged doctors to be vigilant every day in their work.
