A 31-YEAR-OLD woman from Chazanga Township in Lusaka wept as she described how an alleged doctor gave her an injection of a supposed family planning drug, causing her to feel agonizing pain in her arm that had to be amputated later.
Nancy Musonda went on to describe how the drug’s negative effects caused her infant to have diarrhea after being breastfed after the “doctor” had injected her.
She was giving testimony in a case in which Shaderick Ng’andu, 58, is accused of purposefully administering poison with the intent to cause harm.
On August 12, 2022, Ng’andu is accused of inflicting severe bodily damage on Ms. Musonda by administering a poisonous medication to her with the aim to harm her.
Ngandu appeared before Lusaka magistrate Crispin Hampungani yesterday and refuted the accusation.
According to the victim’s evidence, the accused, who was introduced to her as “doctor HH,” called her neighbor on August 11 of last year at around noon and presented themselves.
“My neighbour told me that Dr HH supplies family planning injections to everyone in the area,” Ms Musonda said.
Then, when Ms Musonda was at her store, she asked Ng’andu if he had any three-month supply of family planning drugs.
The accused responded by saying that K20 sold the medication.
“He then excused himself and when he came back, he put medicine in the Syringe and injected me,” the woman said.
Ms Musonda paid K20 for the medication.
Ms Musonda said the pain persisted the following day and the baby started vomiting.
“The pain continued and I stopped going for work until I decided to go to the clinic where they prescribed neutralising medication for me,” she said.
The witness said the pain never stopped.
“I was advised to go to Kanyama clinic where they cut the wound and told me I should go back so that it could be cleaned,” she said.
The court heard that after several visits to the clinic, her arm burst open and she fell unconscious.
“When I woke up. I found myself at University Teaching Hospital where I discovered my arm was amputated,” she said and wept.
In cross examination, Ng’andu claimed that Ms Musonda could have been drunk and decided to finger him in connection with the allegations.
Trial continues on February 20 this year.w
