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Brenda Zinyuke, Court Reporter 

TWO nurses at Bulawayo’s Mpilo Central Hospital allegedly caused the death of a one-day-old girl after she fell from a maternal bed when they left her mother unattended to give birth.

The nurses allegedly ignored the patient when she told them she was experiencing labour pains, until she gave birth and the baby crashed to the floor.

Sekesai Museka (41) of Parklands suburb and Ntombizodwa Ndlovu (36) of Cowdray Park suburb both employed as general nurses at the hospital allegedly caused the death of Ms Purity Dube’s daughter.

Ms Dube who resides in Cowdray Park suburb is being represented by Mr Bruce Masamvu of Mutatu, Masamvu and Da Silva-Gustavo law chambers.

Museka and Ndlovu were not asked to plead to culpable homicide when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Lizwe Jamela yesterday.

They were remanded out of custody on their own cognisance to March 26.

Prosecuting, Mr Denmark Chihombe said on November 20 last year, Ms Dube was admitted at Mpilo Central Hospital where she was due to give birth.

“At around 3AM, the complainant began to feel labour pains and called for help from the accused persons who were on duty but they ignored her. 

“She gave birth on her own and the baby fell on the floor through a delivery blood trap hole on the maternity bed,” he said.

It is alleged that after some minutes, the nurses entered the room where Museka cut the umbilical cord from the unconscious baby and took her to a resuscitation room.

Some doctors allegedly attended to the baby but the duo did not inform them that the baby had fallen on the floor.

“At around 5AM that same day, the baby was transferred to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit but died at around 11PM,” Mr Chihombe said.

A post mortem report revealed that the baby died from intracranial haemorrhage and head injuries.

The matter was reported to the police who carried out investigations leading to the arrest of the two nurses. – @zinyuke98.