Hospital pays 10 million compensation for nurse's negligence

BY SANIA BABIRYE

A private City hospital has agreed to pay Ten million shillings in compensation to a 2 year old boy who was pricked with a same cannular that had pricked the nurse’s hand, well knowing that she was HIV positive.

Victoria Medical Center along Lumumba Avenue in Kampala has entered a consent judgement signed with Ruth Mushabe, a mother to the victim who sued the hospital along with its nurse Rosemary Namubiru for compensation.

The hospital has on Monday however agreed to amicably settle the nearly five year old dispute by way of compensating the complainant on grounds that it doesn't condone professional negligence .

In 2014, Rosemary Namubiru, a nurse attached to Victoria Medical Centre was arrested, prosecuted and convicted of criminal negligence when she used an intravenous needle on the child after pricking herself with it.

Namubiru was however released in November 2014 after she successfully appealed against the excessive 3 year jail term before High court judge Rugardya Atwooki.

Both parties appeared before justice Henerietta Wolayo and agreed the mode of payment. According to the agreement the hospital will be paying compensation money in installments of one million shillings per month starting on 10th February.