THE inquest into the death of former Gauteng legislature secretary Stanley Nkosi was halted yesterday after a nurse central to the hearing requested separate legal representation.
Sibongile Tshabalala, who has repeatedly been fingered as central to the events leading up to the death of Nkosi after surgery on July 22, 2008, requested her own lawyer to "protect her interest" in the matter.
Up to yesterday she and other nurses and the Department of Health, had been represented by Modise Khoza, SC.
Early in the proceedings Khoza had informed magistrate Danie van der Berg of the "conflict of interest" he faced representing the interests of the department as well as those of Tshabalala.
Tshabalala's conduct has been the subject of intense scrutiny.
Evidence before the court suggests that she neglected to inform the nurse in charge of the Hi-Care Ward into which Nkosi was discharged after surgery of the patient's deteriorating health.
Sowetan previously reported that Tshabalala, a junior nurse, only alerted her immediate superior to Nkosi's inability to breathe 19 minutes after it had become clear that his condition was serious.
Evidence given on Monday revealed that at 11.45pm on the day he was admitted to hospital, Nkosi grew so restless he wanted to jump out of his bed.
He had been complaining of breathing problems because of a blocked airway.
His heart rate had collapsed to 22 (bpm) while his respiratory rate had escalated to 37 - the normal rate being 12.
The nurse looking after Nkosi - Sibongile Tshabalala - only told the senior nurse of the dire situation at 12.04am.
The inquest heard that Tshabalala did not monitor Nkosi's vital signs every 30 minutes, as she should have done. Instead, she monitored and recorded her findings hourly.
Senior nurse Joyce Mbele agreed that Tshabalala's conduct was "unacceptable" adding that, looking at Tshabalala's notes, she could not make out what she had recorded.
More worrying, the court heard, was the revelation that at 11pm, Tshabalala recorded Nkosi's heart rate at 97 (bpm) while his blood pressure was 143/82.
She did not alert anyone despite Nkosi suffering from tachycardia - a heart rate that exceeds (100 bpm) the normal range for a resting heart rate.
An hour earlier she had recorded the patient's heart rate at 88 (bpm) but again failed to alert anyone.
Counsel in the matter, Jurie Wessels, SC, described Tshabalala's conduct as "reckless".
Mbele agreed.
The hearing continues tomorrow.
'Reckless' nurse seeks own lawyer
THE inquest into the death of former Gauteng legislature secretary Stanley Nkosi was halted yesterday after a nurse central to the hearing requested separate legal representation.
Sibongile Tshabalala, who has repeatedly been fingered as central to the events leading up to the death of Nkosi after surgery on July 22, 2008, requested her own lawyer to "protect her interest" in the matter.
Up to yesterday she and other nurses and the Department of Health, had been represented by Modise Khoza, SC.
Early in the proceedings Khoza had informed magistrate Danie van der Berg of the "conflict of interest" he faced representing the interests of the department as well as those of Tshabalala.
Tshabalala's conduct has been the subject of intense scrutiny.
Evidence before the court suggests that she neglected to inform the nurse in charge of the Hi-Care Ward into which Nkosi was discharged after surgery of the patient's deteriorating health.
Sowetan previously reported that Tshabalala, a junior nurse, only alerted her immediate superior to Nkosi's inability to breathe 19 minutes after it had become clear that his condition was serious.
Evidence given on Monday revealed that at 11.45pm on the day he was admitted to hospital, Nkosi grew so restless he wanted to jump out of his bed.
He had been complaining of breathing problems because of a blocked airway.
His heart rate had collapsed to 22 (bpm) while his respiratory rate had escalated to 37 - the normal rate being 12.
The nurse looking after Nkosi - Sibongile Tshabalala - only told the senior nurse of the dire situation at 12.04am.
The inquest heard that Tshabalala did not monitor Nkosi's vital signs every 30 minutes, as she should have done. Instead, she monitored and recorded her findings hourly.
Senior nurse Joyce Mbele agreed that Tshabalala's conduct was "unacceptable" adding that, looking at Tshabalala's notes, she could not make out what she had recorded.
More worrying, the court heard, was the revelation that at 11pm, Tshabalala recorded Nkosi's heart rate at 97 (bpm) while his blood pressure was 143/82.
She did not alert anyone despite Nkosi suffering from tachycardia - a heart rate that exceeds (100 bpm) the normal range for a resting heart rate.
An hour earlier she had recorded the patient's heart rate at 88 (bpm) but again failed to alert anyone.
Counsel in the matter, Jurie Wessels, SC, described Tshabalala's conduct as "reckless".
Mbele agreed.
The hearing continues tomorrow.
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