A nurse accused of assaulting a baby’s mother at Okahandja State Hospital says she acted in self-defence.
Registered nurse Secilia Nehale told The Namibian, through her lawyer Samson Enkali of Kadhila Amoomo Legal Practitioners, that she was defending herself after Tusnelde Matheus (30) allegedly insulted, poked and slapped her while she was on duty.
The incident occurred last Sunday in the children’s ward, where Matheus had been staying with her 11-month-old baby, who had been admitted to hospital.
Nehale says she was working from 07h00 to 19h00 as the head nurse in the paediatric ward when the confrontation started between 18h00 and 19h00, while she was administering medication.
She says she was treating an infant whose cannula had become blocked and asked the child’s mother to bring the baby to the nurses’ station.
Nehale says the ward has beds reserved for infants and chairs borrowed from the outpatient department for mothers.
Nehale says three mothers were seated while Matheus was standing next to her baby’s cot using her cellphone, with her chair unoccupied.
“I asked her whether I could borrow the chair to assist the mother and child with the blocked cannula. She raised no objection at the time,” Nehale says.
She says she replaced the baby’s cannula, continued administering medication and later returned the chair.
When she returned to the room, she allegedly found Matheus sitting on the baby’s cot while bottle-feeding the infant.
Nehale says she asked why Matheus was sitting on the cot because it was not designed to carry an adult’s weight.
She says she pointed to another cot in the room that had already broken to explain the risk.
According to Nehale, Matheus allegedly became angry and shouted that the nurse had taken her chair and failed to return it.
Nehale says she then placed the chair next to Matheus.
After completing her duties, she says she returned to the nurses’ station to complete her documentation.
Nehale alleges that Matheus continued insulting her after she asked her to stop.
She further alleges that Matheus poked her in the forehead with her index finger about five times.
“I pushed her hand away from my face. She then slapped me on the right side of my face with an open hand,” Nehale alleges.
She says she slapped Matheus back with an open hand.
According to Nehale, Matheus then attempted to wrestle her to the ground.
“I held my ground. In the ensuing struggle, she pulled out a portion of my hair and struck me on the outside of my head,” she says.
Nehale says she allegedly sustained scratches on the knuckles between her pinky and ring finger.
She says she went home after the incident and later received a call from the senior medical officer about the matter. She did not return to work that day.
The following day, she says she allegedly called out to Matheus twice but received no response before resuming her duties.
Nehale says she was later contacted by the police, arrested and charged.
Last week, The Namibian reported that Nehale pleaded guilty and paid an admission-of-guilt fine of N$300.
She says she paid the admission-of-guilt fine after being informed she would otherwise spend the night in police custody.
A court appearance has been set for 6 August.
