An inquest into the death of a woman who died after childbirth in Kerry has heard she was excited to meet her baby in the hours before she gave birth.
The inquest into the death of 34-year-old Zimbabwe-born, Tatenda Mukwata, continued yesterday at Tralee Courthouse.
The inquest heard further evidence yesterday afternoon from two nurses who were on duty assisting Ms Mukwata before her death.
It also heard from the UHK Clinical Midwife Manager and Shift Leader, a paediatric doctor, and the doctor who pronounced Ms Mukwata dead.
Nurse Kirsty Hawthorn told the inquest she received a phone call from Ms Mukwata on April 19th last year that she was having good contractions, which were now becoming regular.
Ms Mukwata then arrived by ambulance at UHK shortly before 3am on April 20th, at which point Ms Hawthorn said her vitals were normal, and she was coping well.
Ms Hawthorn told the inquest Ms Mukwata said she wanted to stay active and upright to help get the baby down, and that she was excited to be in labour and meet her baby.
Ms Hawthorn handed over to the day staff shortly before 8 o’clock the same morning, and was not involved in her care thereafter.
She noted that she remembers how beautifully Ms Mukwata’s bags had been packed, and Ms Mukwata spoke about her eldest daughter, who had packed her bags, with pride.
Nurse Laura Higgins told the inquest that Ms Mukwata’s baby was delivered at about 7:45pm, and that she then brought the baby to Ms Mukwata, who kissed and hugged her daughter.
Clinical Midwife Manager and Shift Leader on the Delivery and Antenatal Ward in UHK, Laura Sweeney, gave evidence that she was informed Ms Mukwata was being transferred from recovery to the intensive care unit at about 11:45pm on April 20th, for observation.
The deposition of Dr Max Waters, which was read into the record, noted Ms Mukwata was pronounced dead in the early hours of April 21st, after her cardiac arrest had been ongoing for over an hour without meaningful clinical response.
The inquest previously heard that hemorrhage and shock were the cause of death of Ms Mukwata, and the HSE has since apologised to Ms Mukwata’s family, acknowledging there were failings and her death was avoidable.
The inquest continues this morning.
