Lusaka woman sues UTH for more than K700,000 over alleged surgical swab left inside her abdomen during a caesarean section

Lusaka woman sues UTH for more than K700,000 over alleged surgical swab left inside her abdomen during a caesarean section A Lusaka woman has sued the University Teaching Hospitals (UTH) and is demanding more than K700,000 in damages after allegedly discovering that a surgical swab had been left inside her abdomen during a caesarean section, […]

Lusaka woman sues UTH for more than K700,000 over alleged surgical swab left inside her abdomen during a caesarean section

A Lusaka woman has sued the University Teaching Hospitals (UTH) and is demanding more than K700,000 in damages after allegedly discovering that a surgical swab had been left inside her abdomen during a caesarean section, resulting in severe infection and permanent infertility.

Lusaka, 17 September – Vera Mwanda has filed a claim in the Lusaka High Court seeking damages for alleged medical negligence, psychiatric injury and psychological harm, pain and suffering, loss of amenities of life and loss of fertility.

She is also seeking K507,035 in special damages, K150,000 to cover future in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment and K50,009 for future psychological and psychiatric treatment.

Ms Mwanda has cited the Attorney General, the UTH Board of Management and surgeon Amon Mudenda, who she says was employed or contracted by the health facility.

According to her statement of claim, Ms Mwanda was admitted to UTH on May 26, 2018, where she underwent a caesarean section performed by Dr Mudenda.

She claims that after the operation and her subsequent discharge, her surgical wound failed to heal for about five months and became infected.

Ms Mwanda says she repeatedly returned to UTH seeking treatment but was advised to continue cleaning the wound, despite the problem persisting.

In October 2018, she sought treatment at Kabelenga Family Hospital, Faraja Diagnostic Centre and MKP Hospital before eventually being referred back to UTH.

The court documents state that during the same month, she underwent an exploratory laparotomy performed by a Dr R. Sibanda to determine the cause of the persistent infection.

Ms Mwanda alleges that the procedure revealed a surgical swab had been left inside her abdomen during the caesarean section.

She claims the retained swab caused a severe infection in her womb and pelvic cavity, while her fallopian tubes became infected and were subsequently damaged, leaving her unable to conceive naturally.

Ms Mwanda further claims that the complications have had a lasting psychological and emotional impact on her

A psychological assessment dated May 25, 2026, which forms part of her claim, allegedly diagnosed her with high-risk post-traumatic stress disorder, moderately severe depression, high-risk postpartum depression, moderate sleep disorder and hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

She claims that IVF is now her only option for becoming pregnant and says she requires trauma-focused and couples therapy, perinatal mental health support and psychiatric review.

The case comes amid other lawsuits in Zambia involving allegations that surgical materials were inadvertently left inside patients following caesarean sections.

Recently, Mwila Kowa of Chipata in Eastern Province sued Wellspring Speciality Hospital for K5 million, alleging that doctors negligently left a surgical swab in her abdomen during a caesarean section, requiring her to undergo a second operation.

In 2024, Lusaka woman Idah Lungu also filed a lawsuit demanding K1.4 million after allegedly having surgical gauze left inside her abdomen following a caesarean section at Levy Mwanawasa Hospital.

The allegations contained in Ms Mwanda’s court action have not been determined by the High Court, and the defendants will have an opportunity to respond to the claims.

-Nkanionline 2026 #NewsOnDemand