Couple accuses hospital of cover-up over their baby's death

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A 26-year-old painter has accused the Nakuru County Referral Hospital of negligence and cover-up following the death of his newborn baby.

‎Duncan Nduati claimed that his wife, Mitchell Sereruka, went into labour and delivered a healthy baby boy, only to learn later that the baby died.

‎“We had waited, but it happened that the days had passed. I took her to the hospital. Upon reaching the hospital, we did a series of ultrasounds, and she delivered normally on Wednesday,” he said.

‎Nduati reportedly learned that the baby was taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) following a high inhalation of amniotic fluid.

‎On Thursday, he claimed to have called his wife, wanting to see the baby and name him, but was told to wait.

‎“My wife claimed she was allowed to see the baby within an interval of 30 minutes, which she did twice, but the baby was fine on the third trip. She found the baby had turned colour. Upon inquiring, the medics told her that he had machine burns,” he added.

‎At around 12 pm on Friday, he received a call from his wife that he was needed in the hospital, only to be told his son had died at 10 am.

‎He claims that the facility failed to discharge his wife despite paying arrears of Sh7,500.

‎“So far, I can’t ascertain fully that the baby at the morgue is mine; there are two different babies,” he alleges.

‎Nduati accused the hospital of switching the babies, insisting that the body he was shown at the morgue wasn’t a newborn and demanded a DNA test.‎

‎He claimed that he was told to pay Sh5,670 for his son’s body to be released.

‎Nduati refused to sign the morgue documents, insisting that he wanted to know the truth behind the child's death.

‎“The photos I have of the baby when he was in NICU and the one at the morgue can’t be the same person. The way they've tried to play tricks on me since Friday makes it seem like there is a game going on. I want my son,” he said.

‎The medic in charge of the facility, Dr James Waweru, refuted the claims, saying that Sereruka was referred from Ronda Health Centre.

‎“The mother was overdue, but upon delivery, the baby had inhaled the amniotic fluid; he was resuscitated and taken to NICU, but unfortunately succumbed,” he claimed.

‎Dr Waweru claimed that the mother was shown the baby’s body, and she signed the required documents without complaining.

‎The doctor said the outstanding bill has been waived by the Weaver committee.