The Masvingo Provincial Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr. Noel Ralph Zulu, is facing charges of culpable homicide following allegations that his negligence led to the death of a patient due to a surgical error.
According to The Mirror, Dr. Zulu, the only surgeon in Masvingo, appeared before Regional Magistrate Bishard Chineka on Wednesday, charged under Section 49 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act.
Prosecutors claim Dr. Zulu left a 30×30 cm piece of surgical gauze in the abdomen of his patient, Gladys Sibanda, during an operation in 2015.
The gauze reportedly remained in her body for eight years, leading to her death on July 15, 2023, after she collapsed at a ZANU PF rally in Zaka.
Surgical gauze is commonly used for wound care, infection prevention, and controlling bleeding during procedures. However, the retained gauze allegedly caused ongoing health issues for Sibanda, including chest pains and abdominal swelling.
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Despite revisiting Dr. Zulu for further treatment, Sibanda was unable to afford the fees for a second surgery, according to the State’s account.
The retained gauze was discovered during a postmortem conducted by Dr. Godfrey Zimbwa, who noted that it had become infected, contributing to Sibanda’s death.
The State argues that Dr. Zulu’s failure to exercise proper care and skill led to this fatal oversight.
Dr. Zulu is represented by Oliver Marwa from Tabana and Marwa legal practitioners, while the State’s case is presented by Mike Tembo.
The court was informed that Sibanda’s death was caused by the retained gauze, resulting in a severely distended abdomen, internal bleeding, and other complications.
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