Zimpapers Logo

Thandeka Moyo, Health Reporter

A 32-YEAR-OLD Binga woman bled to death at Mpilo Central Hospital after delivering triplets, two girls and a boy.

The woman who cannot be named for ethical reasons reportedly lost 3 Litres of blood at St Patrick’s Mission Hospital in Hwange where she delivered the triplets before she was rushed to Mpilo – about 340km away.

Authorities say the woman from Susumbe Village in Binga left behind three older children.

Mpilo clinical director Dr Solwayo Ngwenya said the woman did not know that she was carrying triplets until she was due on September 24 where she was taken to St Patrick’s Mission Hospital.

“It is sad that we lost a mother who was rushed to Mpilo after developing serious complications during surgery at St Patrick’s Hospital. According to documentation, the woman did not know that she was carrying triplets until time for her delivery came and unfortunately, she developed complications,” said Dr Ngwenya.

He added that doctors who attended to her at Hwange helped her deliver the first baby vaginally and then discovered that the remaining two were stuck.

“They immediately decided to do surgery and upon delivering the two babies the women started bleeding profusely and lost about 3L of blood,” said Dr Ngwenya.

According to Dr Ngwenya who is also a gynaecologist, a pregnant woman has about 6L of blood.

“When doctors realized they could not stop the bleeding they rushed her to Mpilo and by then she had already lost a lot of blood. Efforts were made to even tie her womb to stop the bleeding as she had to travel about 340km to Mpilo for help.”

Dr Ngwenya said upon arrival at Mpilo on the early morning on September 25, doctors tried to save the woman.

“An emergency surgery was conducted to save her life but she had already lost lots of blood and we lost her. It is heart-breaking to know that we now have six motherless children as a result of this one incident,” added Dr Ngwenya.

He urged members of the public to take maternal health seriously and always visit health institutions during pregnancy to avoid such complications.

“We cannot continue losing women in this painful way and we will continue encouraging them to visit health institutions as it is dangerous for one to say I will only go to the clinic or hospital when it’s time to deliver,” said Dr Ngwenya.

Meanwhile the woman’s family is appealing to members of the public to help the triplets with diapers, milk, clothes and medication as they still admitted at Mpilo Central Hospital.

Dr Ngwenya said those willing to help may contact the Mpilo public relations officer Mr Ozias Ndlovu on (0292) 212011.

More than 2 400 pregnant women die in Zimbabwe annually due to over bleeding, abortion and poverty according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

The country’s maternal mortality rate remains at 640 per 100 000 births according to the latest Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey which ranks it number five in the world

According to UNFPA, haemorrhage which is basically bleeding remains the number one cause of maternal deaths at 29 percent followed by infections which account for 14 percent of the deaths.

@thamamoe