Mutare doctor under fire after another botched operation

By Tatenda Mabasa | Nehanda Mutare Bureau |

A Mutare gynaecologist and obstetrician Dr Miriam Kanyenze has come under fire for botching a cervical cancer operation that has reduced Mutare female patient Angela Gara, to a ‘vegetative’ state.

Gara has been resigned to a life of perpetual excruciating pain and now lies motionlessly at a private hospital in Harare where Nehanda Radio understands, she is discharging blood and pus continuously.

What courted public anger is that fact that Gara was not the first victim at the hands of Dr Kanyenze – and the Zimbabwe Medical Council was reluctant to launch investigations into a number of cases that she has allegedly mishandled leading to either the death and or permanent disability of patients.

The botched operation on Gara, which comes barely three months after Dr Kanyenze allegedly presided over three other botched up cases in April, has been roundly condemned by members of the public who now describe her as a “danger to public health and safety”.

Dr Kanyenze allegedly botched Gara’s operation on July 16, and since then the patient has been oozing a combination of blood and pus without stop. Gara’s family is now up in arms against the embattled gynaecologist and obstetrician.

While it was clear that the patient’s family has lost hope in the medical process after investing all their faith in it–they are not giving up hope of finding a recourse either from the health professional council or through the courts.

One of Gara’s relatives told Nehanda Radio:

“It is unfortunate that an operation process we had so much faith has turned out to be a near tragedy. The operation has left her worse than she was originally. We are jammed and at loss of options. We are medically cornered and don’t know what to do next.

“Several doctors that have been assessing her have told us that her situation is hopeless. She is vegetable of a woman. She is lying motionlessly day and night, and that is how cruel the operation has turned out to be”.

As if to add salt to injury, the gynaecologist has suddenly gone underground, leaving the family in suspense.

“The gynaecologist has not been forthcoming and we are worried that this condition could worsen. She started producing some pus a few days after the operation. This case is shocking since we have been told that most women that have undergo such operations made it.

“Her condition got complicated just after the operation. We have been taken aback by the conduct of the specialist. She showed no remorse and contrition at all when it eventually turned out that she had mishandled Angela’s case.

“We are worried, but we will not hesitate to pursue other available options to seek recourse. We have strong grounds to allege incompetence and negligence against the specialist,” said the relative.

Dr Kanyenze refused to talk to Nehanda Radio over Gara’s case. We understand that at the time of the interview, Dr Kanyenze was at Parirenyatwa Hospital where she was receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.

“I am sorry I cannot talk to you over business-related issues because of the situation that I am in,” was all Dr Kanyenze said.

However, the Manicaland Provincial Medical Director, Dr Tapiwa Murambi, defended the embattled gynaecologist and obstetrician. Dr Murambi said it was premature to accuse Dr Kanyenze of negligence and incompetence as the development could be as a result of advanced cancer.

“The disease might be at an advanced stage, where the cancer cells have spread to other organs and will possibly require radiotherapy.

“If cancer reaches such an advanced stage, it becomes difficult to tame. It is possible that cancer cells would have eaten into other organs therefore making it extremely difficult to control,” said Dr Murambi.

Another Mutare medical expert, Dr Tendai Zuze, attributed the continuous discharge of pus means to an infection due to other illnesses.

“That infection could be causing all that.”

In April this year, a Mutare woman, Roselyn Mutenda died at a private clinic recently after she was a victim of a suspected botched operation. Mutenda’s family members expressed disgruntlement over the way the operation was done.

The late Mutenda had been admitted hoping to deliver twins but could not make it alive after she underwent two major operations in 24 hours. It has since emerged that Mutenda reportedly underwent the operation with high blood pressure.