Michael Mutamba (44), a medical officer by profession who
holds a Diploma in Nursing, was convicted on his own plea of guilty before
Chitungwiza regional magistrate Mr Clever Tsikwa.
He was charged with culpable homicide. Mr Tsikwa sentenced
him to 18 months in jail before suspending six months on condition of good
behaviour.
The remaining one year was converted to 420 hours of
community service at Dunnottar Primary School.
Prosecuting, Ms Pamela Dzinduwa, told the court that at an unknown date last year, Andrew Magejo (57) sent a WhatsApp message to Mutamba asking if he could treat him. Mutamba agreed to treat him at a fee of US$450.
Ms Dzinduwa further told the court that Magejo and his wife
Ms Sarah Chiwira, went to Mutamba’s house for the treatment of a growth that
had developed on him.
Mutamba, who is not qualified to carry out any surgical
operations and didn’t have the requisite equipment, went on to surgically
remove a lump of flesh in an operation that took nearly an hour in one of his
rooms.
He failed to control Magejo’s bleeding and later decided to take the patient to Chegutu Hospital. Unfortunately, Magejo died on the way.
Mutamba and Magejo’s wife then drove to Chegutu Police
Station and reported sudden death.
The body was taken to hospital for post-mortem where it was
revealed that he had Covid-19.
Another external post-mortem examination was conducted by a
Dr Javangwe from Harare Hospital, who concluded that Magejo’s death was a
result of hypervelomic shock, which is an emergency condition in which severe
blood or other fluid loss makes the heart unable to pump enough blood to the
body.
This led to the arrest of Mutamba. Herald
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