Two nurses in HIV misdiagnosis saga charged in Kwale court

Nurses Irene Orina (left) and Fatuma Mwacharo on February 14, 2017 when appeared before Kwale Chief Magistrate Doreen Mulekyo on charges of misdiagnosing a woman with HIV. PHOTO | FADHILI FREDRICK | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The two nurses were accused of acting as laboratory technologists in a health institution without being registered.
  • The offences were committed between July 21, 2016 and July 20, 2016 at Diani Health Centre.

Two nurses accused of misdiagnosing a woman in a Kwale hospital as being HIV-positive have been charged.

Ms Fatuma Mwacharo and Irene Orina, who appeared before Kwale Chief Magistrate Doreen Mulekyo, denied the charges.

According to the prosecution, the two nurses were accused of acting as laboratory technologists in a health institution without being registered.

They are accused of recklessly and negligently endangering human life when they administered the HIV test on Ms Esther Mwakazi.

The court heard that the accused, being unqualified, informed Flora Mwasho, a nurse, that Ms Esther Mwakazi was HIV-positive, information which they knew to be false.

Their misdiagnosis, the court heard, made Ms Florah Mwaso to administer ARV drugs to Ms Mwakazi, which she should not have done if the true facts had been given to her.

The two were accused of misdiagnosing Ms Mwakazi in a Kwale public hospital and put her on ARVs for three months, together with her one-year-old son.

According to the prosecution, the offences were committed between July 21, 2016 and July 20, 2016 at Diani Health Centre.

The case will be heard on May 8 and 9, 2017.