Metrine Nelima is seeking justice after she lost her arm following a faulty blood transfusion. She is a 24-year-old resident of Bumbo town council in Namisindwa district.

When she fell sick early this year, Metrine was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center IV in Magale town council in the same district where a private facility in Bumbo referred her after being suspected of being Anemic.

On Arrival at St. Elizabeth Magale Health Center IV, Metrine and her father Paul Musamali were received by a nursing assistant Shedrack Wanyonyi who they say checked her eyes and concluded that she needed a blood transfusion which he immediately initiated. Musamali says that Wanyonyi who did not carry out any test on her daughter placed a carnular on her right hand for a blood transfusion and he left the health center to look for money which was required only to return the following the day when his daughter’s arm had swollen.

He said the cannula had now been changed from the right hand to the left hand but the right one continued swelling and on the third day of their stay at the hospital, they were referred to Mbale Regional Hospital to seek better management.

For the three days they spent at Magale Health Center IV, their bill had raised to 182,000 shillings which was money the father did not have prompting the facility to retain the daughter for the fourth day in demand for the payment.

According to Musamali, this action made the daughter’s situation worse as the swelling of the arm surged, and they were later released and went to Mt. Elgon Hospital in Mbale City for a scan which was conducted on the 27th March 2023. The scan report indicated that the blood transfusion was put into the wrong veins killed the veins and then led to the swelling and rotting of the arm and the doctors recommended amputation of the arm.

Musamali said that following the report of the scan, he took back the daughter to Magale Health Center IV and informed the in charge of the situation at hand who never minded. He later took the daughter to Bududa Hospital where the amputation was conducted on the 9th/04/2023 after he allegedly sold part of his land to raise money for the medical bills. According to Musamali, his efforts to have a mutual understanding with the health center on having the medical costs shared fell on the in charge’s deaf ear prompting him to file a case of negligence at Magale Police Station.

Police have since sent the file to the Resident State Attorney in Manafwa district for sanctioning. Nelima, a single mother of two children says she had never imagined having her hand cut off at an early age. She says that she has now become disabled and unable to take care of her two children. She now wants the government to intervene and have her get justice.

Nelima’s mother and uncle accuse the Magale Health Center IV of negligence leading to the amputation of their daughter’s arm. They say their daughter who worked in a restaurant to fend for her children has now been incapacitated and now the burden lies on them to feed the grandchildren and the daughter herself.

Cylus Etyegu, a Human Rights defender from Adopt International said there is a need for the girl to be supported since she can’t not do any work noting that he has already got instructions from the victim to sue the health center.

Dr. Lukia Nakami Bukawa, the in charge of St. Elizabeth Magale Health Center IV explained the possibility of Metrine’s predicament saying that the blood could have been transfused in the tissues instead of the rightful veins which led to inflammation because of the failure of blood to flow. Dr. Nakami who regretted the incident said that at the time Metrine was brought to the facility, she was very anemic an indicator that she had been sick for a long time which led to the immobility of the Deep Vein Proboscis.