Nairobi News

HashtagNews

Mutua orders DNA test to resolve baby theft claim at Machakos hospital


Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has ordered for a DNA test to determine if a minor who gave birth through Caesarean section lost her baby.

The family of the 17 year old Form 3 student claim she gave birth to a healthy baby, rejecting the version of medics at Machakos Level Five Hospital that the baby died soon after birth.

Governor Mutua has sided with the medics, saying the baby was born with a complication and succumbed during resuscitation.

In a statement, the governor said that the relatives were notified of the death, but could not be given access to medical records they were demanding because they were not the next of kin.

“A pregnant 17 year old Form 3 student (name withheld because she is a minor) came to Machakos level 5 hospital in labour on 24/04/2019 at 46 weeks gestation by dates. She was scheduled for emergency caesarean section due to poor progress and meconium staining grade 3.

“C/S was done under spinal anaesthesia (mother awake). Life male infant was extracted with a birth weight of 3.4 kg with severe birth asphyxia (Scored 3/1, 4/5, 5/10),” read the statement in part.

Dr Mutua said that the mother was notified of the condition and resuscitation started.

“Unfortunately the baby succumbed while undergoing management. Some of the relatives, all male, arrived but on being told that the Baby has passed away, insisted on seeing the medical file and were told that due to medical confidentiality and ethics, only the patient or her next of kin (her parents) could be allowed to access the files.

“Later, the mother of the minor (patient) together with other relatives arrived and were shown the deceased Baby,” he explained.

Dr Mutua said medics will review the cause of death, which will include getting samples from the mother and baby to ascertain their relationship.