By: Dawda Baldeh
Aji Fatou Kassama, a resident of Bakau in the Kanifing Municipality, shared with The Fatu Network her harrowing experience of surviving a near-death situation. She claims a female nurse allegedly left a pad inside her following her delivery at the main referral Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH).
Her husband, Lamin Dibba, described the incident as “total negligence” and threatened legal action against the hospital.
In an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network, both Aji and her husband Lamin emphasized that the nurse’s actions could have been fatal. They stressed that the nurse must face the consequences of her negligence.
Aji, who is now suffering from what she describes as a “life-threatening infection,” expressed shock over the incident.
“The female nurse put a pad in my private part, and 20 minutes later she came back to stitch me,” she recounted. “Before stitching, I told her that she hadn’t removed the pad, but she insisted and stitched me without removing it.”
Documents obtained by The Fatu Network show that Aji Fatou Kassama gave birth to a baby boy at EFSTH on June 13, 2014, through an SVD (spontaneous vaginal delivery), attended by a nurse named Janet Koroma.
According to Aji, the pad remained inside her for 25 days, leading to a severe infection.
“I now have an infection, and it is very painful,” she added, blaming the nurse for neglecting her continuous reminders about the pad.
Further documents reveal that Aji was readmitted to EFSTH a week after her delivery and again two weeks later, when she was diagnosed with an infection.
Aji disclosed that the pad was eventually removed at home with the help of her mother as her condition worsened.
“I am not going to let this case die. I will take legal action against the nurse for her negligence,” said Lamin Dibba.
Mr. Dibba expressed his shock over the issue, asserting that this kind of negligence may be the cause of many post-childbirth deaths among women.
“My wife could have easily died from this,” he said, adding that the matter has been reported to the police for necessary actions.
The Fatu Network has reached out to the hospital for comments. Initially, the Public Relations Officer stated they were unaware of the incident. However, after being presented with evidence, he claimed the incident did not happen at EFSTH but at Kanifing General Hospital.
