A 37-year-old Ugandan woman, Faridah Kiconco, who was wrongly diagnosed with HIV is seeking justice from her caregiver with claims of organ damage.
Faridah said she was put on Anti-Retroviral (ARV) medications for 6 years only to discover that she was not HIV positive.
A resident of Kiziba Parish, Kagango Sub-county in Sheema District, Faridah said she became pregnant in 2011, and registered for antenatal services at the nearby Kabwohe Health Centre IV.
The health workers advised her to first do an HIV test, which turned out positive and she was consequently put on Antiretroviral Therapy (ART).
Speaking with Daily Monitor, Faridah said that “When I was enrolled on ARVs, I did not have any health problems but accepted to take my medication for my life’s sake.”
She said she delivered her first child on July 11, 2012 at Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital and she continued with her medication until when she delivered her second child on August 12, 2017 at Kabwohe Health Centre IV.
After the birth of her second baby, the woman said she developed side effects, a month after.
She described how her skin turned yellow thereafter, and her major body organs ceased functioning normally.
When she returned to Kabwohe Health Centre IV where she was tested again for HIV, she was referred to Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) where she was declared HIV negative after a medical test.
While at the referral hospital, more tests were conducted and blood samples taken to Kampala.
“Three days later, the (Kabwohe Health Centre IV in-charge) called me and after reading through the results, he declared me HIV negative,” Ms Kiconco says.
Ms Kiconco in 2018 filed a case at Mbarara High Court against the government, seeking compensation but the case is yet to be heard, four years later.
Her lawyer, Mr Amon Aruho of Mubiru & Aruho Associate Advocates, says her client suffered physically and emotionally due to consumption of ARVs.
“The ARVs affected her body organs such as the kidney and liver. We want her compensated for the damages she has suffered as a result of the ARVs,” he claims.
“When this matter had started taking shape, Covid-19 came in and the judge who was hearing the matter, Justice Jane Kiggundu, retired, so the file is awaiting a new judge.”
Mbarara High Court deputy registrar Samuel Twakyire told newsmen that the absence of the judge delayed the hearing of the case.
“Since that case was brought to court, it has never been heard and even the current Principal Judge had dismissed it because the parties involved were not attending court,” he said.
“It was later reinstated and since then the judge has been absent because she retired and they have not yet given us another judge so I believe that once we get another judge, it will take off,” he added.
Sheema District Acting Health Officer Kadaraza Edrida says “the case has gone to another level and myself I have not been involved but I know that it is being handled.”
The in-charge of Kabwohe Health Centre IV, Dr Holace Kizito, says: “I just came to the facility a few months ago so I do not know much about that issue and I was not there by the time it happened so I cannot tell you much”
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