Agony of IEBC boss Thomas Letangule as wife dies of negligence

April 10, last year, will remain etched in the mind of top electoral commission official Thomas Letangule.

At 3.30pm on that fateful day, he received a call that his pregnant wife Esther Kagwira Letangule was being attended to at the Family Care Medical Centre and Maternity Home.

Mr Letangule called his wife’s driver, a Mr Mutembei, to pick him up from his Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission office, according to presentations he made to the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board.

While driving there, Mr Letangule received a text message from a nurse at the hospital, Mr Philemon Kipchumba Rono, saying the institution intended to refer his wife to another hospital and that Nairobi West Hospital was the best option.

Mr Letangule gave his permission.

“Soon after, I got a call requesting me to go to the hospital (Family Care Medical Centre and Maternity Home) and since it was raining and there was traffic jam, I alighted from the car and walked to the institution. On arrival, I was informed that my wife had died and I then reported the case to a police station,” Mr Letangule said.

Following widespread media coverage of Mrs Lentagule’s death, the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board started investigations and a professional negligence case was initiated against Prof Joseph Karanja, Dr Erick Sagwa and the hospital. (READ: Agony as polls official awaits probe results into wife death)

The board asked the hospital to provide it with the patient’s file and also sent a team led by Dr Stephen Ochiel to the institution.

Soon after, Mr Letangule, lodged a formal complaint with the board.

The board referred the complaint to its preliminary inquiry committee and after hearing the parties’ oral evidence, it recommended that the case had merit and referred it to the professional conduct committee.

This team was led by Nairobi County Health Executive Timothy Kingondu.

After questioning doctors and nurses involved in Mrs Letangule’s treatment, the committee directed that Dr Sagwa be placed on full-time attachment at Mbagathi District Hospital for three months from July 1, 2014 under the supervision of Dr Loise Mutai.

The committee also recommended that Dr Sagwa be admonished by the board’s chairman, Prof George Magoha, and that he should provide evidence of a valid professional indemnity cover within 14 days.

“During the attachment, Dr Sagwa should cover emergency medical triaging and Obstetrics Department. Dr Mutai must furnish the board chairman with monthly reports on the performance of Dr Sagwa,” the committee directed.

It said that after Dr Sagwa’s attachment, Prof Magoha would make “further directions” as the board might deem fit.

Dr Sagwa was ordered to pay Sh100,000 while the hospital was fined Sh350,000 within 30 days from the date of the ruling for the costs of the committee’s sittings. (READ: Hospital guilty of causing Letangule wife’s death)

The board dismissed a case filed against Prof Karanja, saying it had established that Mrs Letangule was not a private patient of the consultant but of the hospital.

At the same time, the committee ordered Family Care Medical Centre and Maternity Home to initiate dialogue with the victim’s next of kin on compensation and report to the board chairman within 90 days.

“The hospital should also furnish the board chairman with a list of practitioners and staff at all its facilities, their qualifications and registration status within 14 days,” the committee ordered.

The hospital was also ordered to set up a medical advisory committee (MAC) within 14 days and confirm this in writing with the board chairman.

“The MAC should hold monthly meetings and furnish quarterly reports to the board chairman and the Nairobi County Executive for Health for the next 12 months.

The committee also directed the hospital to put in place internal guidelines for clinical record keeping within 30 days.

In the ruling, dated June 24, 2014, the committee also ordered the hospital to provide evidence of a valid professional indemnity cover for the institution, doctors and staff within 14 days.

A comprehensive inspection by the board of the facility on Maai Mahiu Road in Nairobi West was also ordered.

On Thursday, Mr Letangule told the Nation he was satisfied with the ruling by the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board.

SERVE AS EXAMPLE

“Although nothing can bring back my dear Esther, the ruling should serve as a wake-up call and should be circulated to hospitals to save lives, especially of mothers who wish to deliver at these institutions.

“My loss should serve as an example which should behove doctors and institutions to be careful in the way they handle patients to spare mothers and fathers the agony I went through,” he said.

“My wife’s case was a classical one of negligence which caused me a lot of trauma due to negligence,” a distraught Mr Letangule said.

He, however, said despite the ruling that Family Care Medical Centre and Maternity Home should contact the family with a view to compensation and report on progress to Prof Magoha within 90 days from the ruling, this has not happened.

“I am planning to file another case in the High Court to ensure this is implemented and justice is done,” Mr Letangule added.