STAFF REPORTER
AN HIV Negative mother has accused some medical practitioners in Caprivi for prescribing her and her newborn baby some Anti Retroviral Drugs without her consent.
Ms.Mwaka Mukaya (28) started her anti-natal care at her nearest clinic and was attended by Health professionals as she claims she was tested negative showing in her medical report book but later ended on being given a 300g of Aztec on 29 January 2013.
Ms. Mukaya continued taking the tablets as she thought they are for her pregnancy, “I took them regularly without missing any time” she said.
She continued taking her treatments while being pregnant , her newborn baby girl was born on March 10, 2013 in the Katima Mulilo State Hospital and was prescribed a 100 ml navirapine (NVP) medicine to take in the morning and evening. While the baby was on that treatment, “She used to cry during night and looked very uncomfortable and ill at the same time” said the Father Mr. Mbala Mwiya.
Seeing that their baby was not well most of the time after taking the medicine on 29 April 2013, Mr. Mwiya (32) decided to take the small baby to the hospital because he never knew what the medications was for, they met a medical Doctor who then requested for them to take a rapid HIV test.
This test has been run between the Mother, Father and baby and the result proved both the three showing in their medical reports as ‘‘HIV Negative’’, after those tests the Medical Doctor assigned to Maternity ward automatically stopped her and the baby not to continue taking the treatments anymore and he wrote in the baby’s health passport that “Stop NVP syrup, Mother non reactive, errors in recording” said in a medical report.
However, Mr. Mwiya described the situation to be very disturbing after stopping the treatment as her wife Mwaka has developed some sores on the breasts.
After everything that happened, Mr. Mwiya decided to speak to the Katima Mulilo State Hospital Matron who told them that he was informed that they solved that issue with the WARD 2 Doctor and could not act on their request.
“mother found hiv negative after pretesting , husband tested too all negative, errors in recording by previous health workers at referred clinic” said the medical doctor in the health passport of the concerned mother.
Contacted for comment to hear how the case could be solved Chief Medical Officer Dr.Peter Bwalya at Katima Mulilo State Hospital said the issue did not reach his office yet, “I could tell them to be coming for medical checkups if problems arose while taking those tablets but unfortunately I am not the right person to talk now”, said Doctor Bwalya.
He however referred this reporter to speak to Doctor Jamela Dube who is the Acting Regional Director, who said “ The issue is a typically clinical issue and I cannot say something on it”. He added saying “ I am only a health Inspector and I think our Principal Medical Officer can say something on that”.
Dr. Dube referred this paper to the Principal Medical Officer Dr.H.L Bainga who by the time of going for press was not in the Region.
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