A Follow-up Of Judith Nakintu’s Case, Maid Who Was Allegedly Brought Back From Saudi Arabia With Missing Kidney

There have been numerous stories in the media in recent times on matters regarding the ill-treatment of domestic workers in Saudi Arabia. Most of these stories are of Ugandan maids in Saudi Arabia who have allegedly gone through horrible experiences. Some of them, fortunately, returned back home, albeit with horrifying stories to tell. One of these stories is of a lady known as Nakintu Judith, a domestic worker externalized to Saudi Arabia-Jeddah City in 2019 by a recruitment company Nile Treasure Gate.

Accounts by Nakintu’s family implicate the Kiwatule-based Nile Treasure Gate Company for enlisting and sending her to Jeddah on December 12, 2019, as a housemaid. It is apparently from here they mistreated her for several months and later repatriated her with a missing right kidney.

The family explained that while in Saudi Arabia, Nakintu underwent an ‘unexplained surgery’ procedure. She suffered a stroke that paralyzed her and consequently rendered her helpless.

However, according to a health status report dated 5th, April 2020 from Nile Treasure Gate to Uganda Association of External Recruitment Agencies(UAERA), Nakintu Judith got involved in an accident on the 4th, March 2020 and was admitted to a hospital where she was still receiving medication. Another status report dated 27th-August, 2020 to the Ministry of Gender informs of Nakintu’s status. It indicates that she was still undergoing treatment and that her situation was greatly improving. They had also apparently started working on her repatriation documents to Uganda.

According to a Saudi Neurologist, Dr. Mohammed Alwadai from King Fahd Hospital-Jeddah Saudi Arabia, Judith suffered severe trauma to the stomach as a result of the accident. They admitted her to the hospital after she was transferred from another hospital for general surgery since she was showing signs of internal bleeding. However, after the surgery, the patient developed complications and had to be admitted into the ICU. A while later, the patient’s condition improved, and was transferred back to the regular admission bed. She was then put under observation and medication while at the same hospital for several weeks.

According to a Saudi report translated by Makerere University,  this accident consequently led to the arrest and prosecution of the culprit, Saad Ahafer Mohamed Al-Asmari. He was convicted of error in the accident by 100%. Furthermore, they obliged the culprit to hand over to the plaintiff, Nakintu Judith, the indemnity for the aforementioned injury, an amount of (271,450) Saudi Riyals on the 21st, Oct 2021. This includes all damages among other incurred costs.

A statement from the Nile Treasure Gate however leaves so many questions that many media stories haven’t clearly answered.

“We have several reservations regarding the media reports about the incident that preceded the victim’s miserable condition. We would like to categorically state that Ms. Judith Nakintu was involved in a motor accident in Saudi Arabia. The subsequent stroke paralyzed her left side, NOT the extraction of her kidney as stated,” reads part of the company’s response.

Adding that, “First of all, the statement that the kidney was extracted when Ms. Nakintu’s employer took her to the hospital to get a COVID-19 vaccination was in March 2020, yet the first COVID-19 vaccine was approved in December of the same year discredits the whole story.”

“Ms. Nakintu was involved in an accident in March 2020, and in the same accident were seven other people, including her employers, and their children (according to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Police Traffic Report in Jeddah, which was received and translated by Makerere University,” a statement dated 12 February 2022 read.

The company says several days after, they got information that two children of Nakintu’s employer died instantly. Fortunately, Nakintu survived with severe injuries and a blood clot. This is according to doctors at King Fahad Hospital in Saudi Arabia where she was admitted for over a year.

Furthermore, the company says the Hospital’s report also showed multiple external bruises. Bruises of the lungs with bloody air gathering inside, liver bruises, thrombosis of the right kidney artery, pelvic fractures. And pelvic bone injuries which Makerere University translated.

Check Also;

• How Migrant Workers Voices’ Call for Ban of Labour Externalisation Is Self-Seeking
• Updated List Of Licensed External Recruitment Companies In Uganda -2021

This is not a Paywall, but Newslex Point's journalism consumes a lot of time, hard-work and money. That's why we're kindly requesting you to support us in anyway they can, for as little as $1 or more, you can support us .

Please use the button below to contribute to Newslex Point, Inc. using a credit card or via PayPal.

Comments

comments