THE net is closing in on negligent medical practitioners
following Government’s decision to set up an office of the Coroner-General
charged with carrying out thorough independent investigations into deaths in
hospitals, prisons, police cells and any other places.
This comes amid an outcry over some surgeons whose
negligence gets to an extent where a pair of scissors is left in a woman’s
womb.
The High Court has over the years been inundated with
lawsuits against medical practitioners who negligently cause the death of
patients.
In most cases, negligent practitioners get away with murder
because they usually cover up for each other.
Cabinet recently approved the Coroner’s Office Bill, which
seeks to create an independent and fully-fledged office to effectively and
impartially investigate unnatural deaths.
It will also put an end to the shortage of forensic
pathologists, which is slowing down the investigation and prosecution of murder
and robbery cases.
The Bill is now at Parliament stage. The office is expected to impartially carry out
post-mortems, when necessary, and come up with forensic reports for use in
court.
Coroners will also testify in court, replacing doctors who
shy away from giving evidence for fear of being grilled.
Director of Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs in the
Ministry of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Mr Charles Manhiri, who
drafted the Bill, said the office will be fully skilled to carry out
independent investigations.
“The Coroner’s Office will be headed by the
Coroner-General. The Coroner-General will work with a skilled team of coroners.
The office is meant to provide independent and impartial investigation into
circumstances surrounding unnatural deaths like homicide, infanticide,
suicides, accidents.
“It also investigates deaths that occur within 24 hours of
admission in hospital, or deaths that occur during a surgical operation.
“Investigations will also be carried out when people die in
police custody or in prison,” he said.
Mr Manhiri said if bad or dangerous practices are
established against medical practitioners or any other institutions, the
independent body will present the evidence to the relevant authorities for
appropriate action to be taken.
“If there are dangerous or bad practices involved,
according the coroner’s findings, appropriate recommendations. If the bad
practice relates to the hospital or the police, the investigations will be done
independent of those institutions to establish the truth without any bias,” he
said.
Meanwhile Government is investigating the conduct of a
prominent gynaecologist who performed a surgical operation which claimed the
life of the oral health director in the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Dr
Mandy Sibanda, recently.
Dr Sibanda is one of many victims in cases involving the
same gynaecologist (name withheld) who also stands accused of wrongly
discharging her duties.
Although the Medicines and Dental Practitioners Council of
Zimbabwe (MDPCZ) could not confirm nor deny working on the matter, Ministry of
Health and Child Care, family health director Dr Bernard Madzima confirmed they
were ceased with the matter.
The Family Health Department is responsible for maternal
health among other issues.
Dr Madzima said the Ministry received a post-mortem report
and has since handed it over to a team of experts, which will give a position
regarding the death of Dr Sibanda.
A Karoi woman in 2017 took a medical doctor to the High
Court claiming damages amounting to $400 000 after her husband husband died
during an ill-performed operation.
Ms Jane Mazhambe filed the lawsuit in the High Court
through her lawyers claiming $86 095 in school fees for her three minor
children, $17 020 for the completion of the construction of the family’s house,
$261 338 for the minors’ food, health care and ancillary expenses and $52 000
for utility bills and her health care as well.
Last year a Mutare farmer Mr James Makununura, who lost his
wife due to medical negligence successfully sued Dr Miriam Kanyenze for $20
000.
Mrs Makunura sought medical attention for fibroids from the
specialist in 2010.
After the surgery, Dr Kanyenze negligently discharged
Mildred Makunura from hospital without attending to her hypertension. Herald
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