Nurse arraigned in Kwale court over wrong HIV test results

Nurse Irene Orina at the Kwale Law Courts on January 18, 2017 where she was charged with misdiagnosing Esther Mwakazi as HIV-positive in July 2016. She was released on bond. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Ms Orina is the second person from the public health centre to be charged in relation to the case.
  • Esther Mwakazi was misdiagnosed at the Diani Health Centre and put on antiretroviral drugs for three months along with her one-year-old so.
  • She is now seeking justice after another test by a government agency found that she is HIV-negative.
  • Nurses from various hospitals in Kwale County, on the urging of their union, flocked the court to show solidarity with their colleague.

A Kwale County nurse has been charged with erroneously diagnosing a mother as being HIV-positive in July 2016.

Irene Orina was arrested on Tuesday and charged before Kwale Resident Magistrate Paul Mutai on Wednesday with recklessness and negligence, causing harm and giving false information to a person working in a public institution.

Ms Orina denied the charges and was released on a Sh100,000 bond or Sh50,000 cash bail.

Investigating officer Amon Adiema told the court that police had for two weeks been looking for the accused and that even her employer, the county government, had not provided information on her whereabouts.

Her lawyer, George Mungai, asked the court to intervene and order the police to release his client’s seized phone.

But the magistrate ruled that the officers continue holding the phone to facilitate investigations until January 23, when the case will be mentioned.

POLICE RETAIN PHONE

“Your honour, it is true we still have the accused’s phone. We have only had contact with her just yesterday (Tuesday) when we arrested her and we are still investigating. She used the phone to communicate and that is what we want to establish,” Mr Adiema told the court.

Ms Orina is the second person from the public health centre to be charged in relation to the case in which a pregnant Esther Mwakazi was misdiagnosed at the Diani Health Centre and put on antiretroviral drugs for three months along with her one-year-old son.

She is now seeking justice after another test by a government agency found that she is HIV-negative.

On Wednesday, nurses from various hospitals in Kwale County, on the urging of their union, flocked the court to show solidarity with their colleague.

Also in court was county Chief Health Officer Kishindo Mwaleso and executive for health Athuman Chiguzo.