Family members in Kiwenda village, Gayaza have accused police of causing the death of their relative after she was blocked from going to the hospital after she went into labour during curfew hours.
The diseased, Annet Bateta, a 31 year old mother of three, from Kiwenda breathed her last on Thursday April 2 on her way to Bombo Hospital where she had been refered to from a nearby clinic after her condition worsened.
Margret Kasajja, sister to the deceased narrated to our reporters that her sister (now late) had gone into labour on Wednesday evening, April 1 and immediately requested to be taken to the nearby clinic. While being escorted on foot at around 8pm, they were intercepted by the police along with the LDU operatives who ordered them to go back home.
With the expectant Annet wailing and moaning in pain, pleas by family members to the men in uniform to have their loved one taken to the hospital for immediate medical attention fell on deaf ears.
Left without options, they resigned and stayed with her through the night.
“In the morning, we went to Kiwenda police post to ask for assistance so that we could have Annet taken for medical attention but they asked us for the money which we didn’t have,” Margret, sister to the deceased recounts.
Following a series of unsuccessful attempts at convincing the indifferent officers at the station, the family chose to seek the intervention of the area LC 1 chairman for Kiwenda who wrote them a letter to take to police begging them to rescue the mother in pain but the officers insisted that they first give them money.
“By the time we got the money, it was nearly 8pm on Thursday and Annet had lost a lot of blood,” a teary Agnes Kasajja narrated.
By the time they arrived at Bombo Hospital in Luwero, it was too late as the mother had died along with the unborn baby.
Since they had no money to take the body to Wobulenzi in Luwero, they returned with the police vehicle and dropped them at the late’s mother’s home in Namulonge where she was buried on Friday 3. They couldn’t afford to transport the body to their ancestral home in Wobulenzi.
Ms Mawulisiyo Nabatanzi, mother to the deceased blames the police’s negligence for the death of her daughter.
“If they had not stopped my daughter from going to the clinic at night, she would be with us now,” she lamented.
The late Batega who had been living alone after separating with her husband is survived with three children.
Recently President Yoweri Museveni ordered Lt Col Edith Nakalema to arrest officers who solicit bribes or block patients especially pregnant mothers. Actually two officers were arrested over the weekend for beating up a pregnant mother.
The powers to permit pregnant mothers to access medical services, actually, was placed in the hands of the sub county chief, who coordinates with the Resident District Commissioner.
Uganda’s president ordered a lockdown of the country to speedily arrest the movement of the Coronavirus which is ravaging the world. However, directives have not sunk in well through the country which has forced the president to address the nation for more than six times.
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