Pallisa Midwife Arrested Over Alleged Negligence, Extortion in Newborn’s Death

What the report says

A midwife attached to Pallisa General Hospital in eastern Uganda has been arrested over allegations of professional negligence and extortion after a newborn died during an attempted delivery, according to Dokolo Post. The case involves Annet Achom, who was taken into custody on Thursday, August 14, on the directive of Pallisa Resident District Commissioner Dikusooka Majid.

The report says the mother, Kagwoye Tabitha of Kwarikwari Village in Kameke Sub-county, was first taken to Kaboloi Health Centre III on August 12 while in active labour. Health workers there reportedly found the baby was in breech position and referred her to Pallisa General Hospital for an emergency Caesarean section. Dokolo Post reports that, on arrival, Achom allegedly moved the patient and relatives to a private room, did not immediately alert doctors, and demanded Shs300,000 before treatment could continue.

Authorities said the family could not raise the money right away, and investigators believe this delay contributed to the loss of the baby’s life. The article says a later emergency Caesarean section was performed to remove the retained fetal head and save the mother, who remains admitted and is recovering after surgery. The baby’s remains were released for burial.

District officials have opened a case file for possible charges including criminal negligence, abuse of office and extortion, pending further investigations. More broadly, the incident has renewed concerns about patient handling, accountability and informal payments in public health facilities, though such concerns are a general issue and not limited to this case.