Mulago National Referral Hospital has been ordered to pay general damages amounting to Shs85m to a couple whose twin baby got lost in suspicious circumstances at birth.
Mr Michael Mubangizi and Ms Jennifer Musiimenta dragged the hospital to court in 2014 after one of their twins went missing shortly after birth on March 12, 2012.
According to the parents, their twins were born alive but the hospital staff claimed one of them had died although the parents were not given the body of the “dead twin”
The parents who attended court with the only twin they left hospital with, said they are sure their other child is alive and that they will continue the search for their baby girl.
Justice Lydia Mugambe in her verdict last evening ruled that Ms Mariam Mundida, the mid-wife on the day the twins were born, must account for the missing twin baby since she oversaw the delivery.
Justice Mugambe then ordered Mulago to pay Shs85m to the couple on grounds that they suffered psychological torture of not knowing or burying their own baby, a practice cherished in African culture.
Mugambe also added that parents continue to suffer psychologically everytime people ask them where the other twin baby is since the surviving baby is called ‘Babirye’ a name known to be for a twin.
The lady Justice also said the award of Shs85million so that Mulago can be serious with their work.
Couple not amused
Although court awarded the couple with Shs85million, they had wanted a compensation of Shs300m but the judge said it was on a higher side since they did not suffer cruel psychological torture.
“Accordingly, the plaintiffs (Mubangizi and Musiimenta) claim is allowed in part with the following declarations and consequential orders which I find necessary to nip in the bud the systematic problems at Mulago,” Justice Mugambe ruled.
