Kisementi, Kigali-based La Croix du Sud Hospital, which is owned by one of Rwanda’s foremost gynaecologists, Dr Jean Chrysostome Nyirinkwaya, is yet again under investigation after some of its inpatients developed severe complications while undergoing treatment at the facility, Rwanda Today has learnt.

The aggrieved victims are also considering a lawsuit against the hospital. This follows several complaints raised by caretakers of patients, who claim their condition worsened after undergoing minor surgery, including circumcision, at the hospital.

Clinton Innocent Rubagumya, 18, was pursuing his studies and a dream of becoming one of the biggest cricket stars. He has flown out of the country multiple times to play in South Africa, Malawi and elsewhere. Nothing seemed to stand in his way to stardom — until he sought treatment for a damaged toenail at La Croix du Sud, where he was injected with an anaesthetic drug.

After realising the first injection did not numb the toe, the doctor administered the second and it worked; the toe nail was removed but the toe had developed a problem. The teen was told to return after three days for the wound to be dressed. But when the wound was uncovered then, the entire toe had a strange inflammation.

“When a different doctor looked at it, he was very shocked and asked, ‘Who did this?’ He advised another surgery to be done,” said Margaret Umutesi, the teenager’s mother. “We kept coming back every day and every time the wound would be uncovered it looked worse.”

The infection spread to the leg, forcing the patient’s mother to seek an explanation from the head of the hospital, who confirmed that the drug was, indeed, contaminated.

“He (Dr Nyirinkwaya) told me that the hospital was supplied with a wrongly mixed drug, that instead of the drug having three components it had four, that it is the drug which my son was injected with,” said Ms Umutesi.

However, Dr Nyirinkwaya could not comment on the extent of the damage.

“My son is under a lot of pain, he worries about his future, he is supposed to be applying like the rest to go to university but he can’t, it’s been two and a half months now, my work is also affected by this issue, we are under a lot of stress,” Ms Umutesi lamented.

Ms Umutesi added that, despite this being a result of the hospital’s negligence, she was still expected to pay the bill.

“I am considering suing this hospital,” she said.

Unverified reports indicate that at least eight patients were injected with the harmful drug.

The father of another victim, who preferred anonymity, told Rwanda Today that he took his year-old son for circumcision at the hospital but the toddler later developed complications.

“After a few days, the boy’s genitalia had swollen and was inflamed; they recommended another surgery, which was done,” he said. “Since that time the condition got worse, I was later told he was injected with an expired anaesthetic drug.”

Another victim, who also sought to remain anonymous, said his condition has worsened since undergoing circumcision at the hospital in February. He said he was later admitted to King Faisal Hospital and then transferred to Aga Khan Hospital in Kenya after his condition worsened. He has undergone three surgeries.

Alerted Ministry of Health

Dr Nyirinkwaya said his hospital was aware of the problem and had alerted the Ministry of Health to put the drug out of circulation. The drug had also been sent to the national laboratory in Butare for analysis, he said.

Although the results confirmed that the drug was toxic, Dr Nyirinkwaya added, they were not conclusive and the hospital was working with advanced labs in Kenya to ascertain the shortcoming.

He however dismissed allegations that the drug was expired, saying: “We bought the drug under normal procurement procedures, the national labs reported that the drug had an entity that was not supposed to be in, we are in touch with the manufacturers of the drug, we have told them about the situation, we are waiting for the final laboratory report.”

He also said the government should explain how the drug was allowed into the country.

Nathan Mugume, the head of Rwanda Health Communication Centre, confirmed that the Ministry of Health was aware of the issue and a team has been set up to investigate.

Dr Emile Rwamasirabo, the president of the Rwanda Medical Council, said the council was aware of the issue but was waiting for results of an ongoing investigation.