The daughter of a woman who died following childbirth at UHK thought it was a mistake when informed of the death.
Rutendo Mukwata was speaking at the inquest today at Tralee Courthouse into her mother, Zimbabwean national, Tatenda Mukwata who lived at the Atlantic Lodge direct provision centre in Kenmare.
The 34-year-old died six hours after a c-section, in which her healthy baby daughter was delivered.
Rutendo Mukwata was 18 years old and in her leaving cert year when her mother, Tatenda, was due to give birth to her fourth child.
She recalled at the inquest how her mother was taken by ambulance from Kenmare to University Hospital Kerry in the early hours of April 20th 2022 after complaining of pain and discomfort.
They stayed in contact by phone with Tatenda saying at 4pm she’d be having a caesarean section in the evening.
Rutendo recalled being phoned at 1am (on April 21st 2022), and being asked to come to the hospital.
When the 18-year-old said she couldn't drive, she was told the gardaí would collect her.
On arriving at the hospital, she was taken to a room and told her mother had died; she thought there’d been a mistake, and hoped her mother would wake up.
Rutendo met her new baby sister, Eva, and subsequently took photographs of her new sister with her late mother.
She phoned Tatenda’s mother in the UK to inform her, and waited for her grandmother to arrive before breaking the news to her younger siblings, Munashe and Sherley who were aged 11 and 12 at the time, saying she wasn’t able to do it.
Tatenda's mother, Catherine gave evidence saying her daughter was to initially get her maternity care in Cork, but due to difficulties with busses it was advised University Hospital Kerry in Tralee would be better due to greater availability of busses.
Tatenda’s consultant was the now retired Mr Paul Hughes; he wasn’t on call the night she delivered the baby.
Under cross examination from Dr John O’Mahony, SC, he acknowledged it was very unfortunate the external review has been delayed.
It was due to be completed in January and is now nearing completion, but Mr Hughes noted it has to be done properly and takes time.
The inquest continues before coroner Helen Lucey and a jury at Tralee Courthouse.
