Kampala: Consultant makes U-turn in case against fertility doctor

By EPHRAIM KASOZI

A senior consultant from Mulago hospital, Dr Cephus Mijumbi, has said his inspection report about Women’s Hospital International and Fertility Centre was done without formal request from its proprietor Edward Tamale Ssali.

Dr Mijumbi, a consultant anesthesiologist, made the u-turn revelation on Friday during cross examination, but added he was called to inspect the facility by Dr Ruth Kavuma, an employee at the hospital.

Negligence charges

He was testifying in the case against consultant gynaecologist, Dr Ssali, who is facing charges of negligence in connection to the death of a patient, Mercy Ayiru, in 2010. Dr Mijumbi had earlier told court that he was invited to inspect and submit a report about the fertility centre.

While responding to a query about the validity of the report that was brought as exhibit, Buganda Road Court Chief Magistrate Olive Kazaarwe heard that Dr Mijumbi’s inspection report was written in November 2011 but signed and presented as evidence in November 2012, months after commencement of court proceedings.

Dr Mijumbi also said the machine at the fertility clinic was in a proper working condition, contrary to his earlier claim that it was not fit to be used in surgery. Dr Ssali, the director of the city-based clinic, is charged alongside Mr Christopher Kirunda, an anaesthetist at a women’s fertility centre in Kampala, and Dr Rafique Parker, a Nairobi- based doctor.

The trio, who deny the charges, appeared for hearing of the case on Friday. Dr Mijumbi also said he had never used the machine for laparoscopic surgeries, a specialised field in medicine that requires highly specialised surgeons.

Surgery gone bad?

Laparoscopic surgery is a modern surgical technique in which operations in the abdomen are performed through small incisions, according to information from the internet. Magistrate Kazaarwe adjourned the matter to March 20 for further hearing from witnesses.

Source: Daily monitor (04/03/2013): http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/National/Consultant-makes-U-turn-in-case-against-fertility-doctor/-/688334/1710342/-/g8o9f0z/-/index.html