In a tragic event, a Zimbabwean nurse who was eight months pregnant died at home from bleeding to death despite having called for an ambulance more than four hours earlier. Stabile Sibanda, a 28-year-old woman, called 911 at 1:11 am on July 23 of last year, expressing anxiety about acute stomach pain and the potential for an ectopic pregnancy. The ambulance, however, didn’t show up for many hours.
Stabile Sibanda had recently migrated from Zimbabwe to the United Kingdom. She tragically lost her life just weeks after embarking on a new chapter in her career, NewZimbabwe.com reveals.
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Stabile Sibanda was in agonising pain on that fatal night last year and thought she might have an ectopic pregnancy. She dialled 911 at 1:11 a.m. in her despair, asking for immediate medical attention. The response time was substantially slowed down by the South Central Ambulance Service’s high demand and ongoing issues with post-Covid staff sickness.
Stabile Sibanda’s Death Inquest
The inquest, held at Reading Coroner’s Court, reveals that a private ambulance service, Phoenix, was dispatched to attend to Sithabile Sibanda’s emergency call, but unfortunately, the crew sent did not include a trained paramedic.
Furthermore, upon arrival at her residence in Ascot, Berkshire, two hours after the initial call, the crew encountered difficulties locating her first-floor flat, resulting in further delays. The technicians, Kara Mathieson and Lee Brown, faced a distraught and uncooperative Ms. Sibanda, who exhibited combative behavior.
The technicians quickly dismissed the possibility of an ectopic pregnancy, instead suspecting drug use and potential sexual assault. Disturbingly, it was not until 4:36 am, when the situation became critical, that the Phoenix crew called the police for assistance in getting Ms. Sibanda into the ambulance. Tragically, she suffered a haemorrhage and was pronounced dead at 5:33 am.
During the inquest, conflicting reports emerged as Ms. Mathieson denied being aware of the ectopic pregnancy, despite evidence suggesting otherwise. Similarly, Mr. Brown claimed to have no knowledge of Ms. Sibanda’s condition, despite contradicting statements he had made previously.
During the subsequent inquest, the Berkshire Coroner, Heidi Connor, expressed deep concerns regarding the evidence provided by the Phoenix technicians. Mrs. Connor emphasized the importance of considering the possibility that the initial crew was informed about the ectopic pregnancy, which could have influenced their decision-making and urgency in transferring Sithabile Sibanda to the hospital.
While Ms. Sibanda lived just a 20-minute drive away from the nearest hospital, the coroner emphasized that prompt surgical intervention would have been crucial for her condition. As a result, the delays encountered cannot be definitively linked to her death, leading to the conclusion that she died of “natural causes.”
