MASERU-Major General ‘Matumelo Ramoqopo stated that the army informed the police about the death of BrigadierMaaparankoe Mahao immediately after he died. This she said while giving evidence in court as the 17th witness in a case where former Lesotho Defense force (LDF) Commander, Lieutenant General Tlali Kamoli and other army members are accused of killing Brigadier Mahao.
Gross examined by the defense lawyer, Advocate Letuka Molati, Major General Ramoqopo said, “It is not true that the army was not cooperating with the police because as soon as we were made aware that the patient has died, we did all procedures and informed the police.” She stated that Major General Poopa made sure that Brigadier Mahao got help as soon as possible.
Narrating the incident that occurred on the 25th June 2015 to the court, Major General Ramoqopo said she was still in her office at Makoanyane hospital sometime after lunch because it was not long before she came back from lunch. “I received a phone call from Major General Poopa asking whether there was a patient that has arrived at the hospital, he did not give me the name of the patient,” said Ramoqopo. She stated that she assumed it should be a special patient for Major General Poopa to ask about their arrival in hospital.
Furthermore, Major General Ramoqopo said, “I told him that according to my knowledge there was no patient of such but I will ask on his behalf from those that work with patients.” She stated that she left her office to the hospital and she went to the matron’s office, which is an office near the reception. “I found Major Hokinyane in the matron’s office and asked her if there was any patient that arrived. She asked what kind of patient was I talking about, whether was a VIP or emergency patient. I told her that I did not know,” said Major General Ramoqopo.
In continuations, she stated she informed Major Hokinyane to tell her if such a patient arrives. “I received a phone call from Major General Poopa who informed me to prepare to admit a patient that needs immediate help and further indicated that I should make sure that the doctor is available to attend such patient,” said Major General Ramoqopo.
She indicated that she informed Major Hokinyane that theyare going to have a patient that needs immediate help soshe should go and prepare people that work in the emergency room. “I asked whether the doctors are available and she told me that all doctors have left and one that has just left was Doctor Mukesh. Because our doctors stay in Makoanyane yard I assumed we would find him quickly but when I called him he said he was in Borokhoaneng on his way to town,” stated Major General Ramoqopo.
Moreover, Major General Ramoqopo said, “I told him to come back immediately because we were expecting an emergency patient and he should be here. He promised me that he was coming back. I also decided not go back to my office but stayed in matrons office with Major Hokinyane.”
She said after a short period they heard a knock on the door and when we responded, a soldier entered statingthat he had brought a patient and that the patient is in the ambulance area. Major General Ramoqopo said, “We left following each other from the office then parted ways when I entered the emergency room while others passed to the ambulance area. My reason for stopping at the emergency room was to check whether the staff there was prepared.”
Major General Ramoqopo showed that she asked if they were ready to admit an emergency patient and they responded that they have been notified by MajorHokinyane. “Most of them were students and I asked who their senior was and they said was Seargent Khasipe and that he had just went out. I ordered one of them to go and call him so that he is here when the patient arrives,” said Major General Ramoqopo.
She point out that she proceeded to follow Major Hokinyane. Major General Ramoqopo said on her way she recalled that the emergency room trolleys are normally not covered. “I then entered the maternity ward because it is closer and I asked for sheets to cover the trolley, when I entered I met several nurses and the one I came across was then Private Sechele whom I told to bring the sheets. He was with another male nurse whom I also called,” clarified Major General Ramoqopo.
She revealed to them to bring the sheets to the ambulance area and that we are going to admit an emergency patient and they followed her. “Immediately when I opened the door I saw Major Hokinyane supporting a man from a white 4*4 vehicle. I then realized that this was the patient we have expecting. I observed that the patient was walking but with difficulty, that is when I stepped back to pull the trolley, I realized that Private Sechele was close to me,” said Major General Ramoqopo.
Additionally, she specified that she ordered him to push the trolley to Major Hokinyane and they helped the patient to sit on the trolley. Major General Ramoqopo said, “He was actually laying on the trolley, we then pushed the trolley to the emergency room. I realized that the patient was General Mahao, he had lost a lot of blood becausehis top was stained with blood and his right hand seemed to be more injured.”
Moreover, “As we were still pushing the trolley, passing the corridor, the patient asked us to take off his shoes. I recall that Private Sechele stopped the trolley to help the patient but I ordered him to push the trolley and I promised the patient that we would take off his shoes in the emergency room,” said Major General Ramoqopo.
She showed that when they arrived in the emergency room she looked for a pair of scissors to cut the hand of the sweater the patient was wearing while others wereinserting the drip and some had a machine to monitor his vitals.
“From where I was I could see that the wounds I was addressing were bleeding a lot. The right hand had a fractured bone, there were also two on the inner part of the right upper arm and two wound on the chest still on the right side. We then realized that there was another wound at the back when we turned him while examining, still on right side,” stated Major General Ramoqopo.
She outlined that this wound was a bit different from the rest because was a bit smaller and made a hole and was bleeding a lot than other wounds. Major General Ramoqopo said, “One would say it was because of the state he was which made it easy for that wound to bleed a lot and a lot of blood was coming from inside. We all continued with our task and I was dressing the wounds to stop the bleeding, while others continued to try and insert the drip and some monitored the vitals.”
Major General Ramoqopo said she recalls that the first readings showed a very low blood pressure even though she cannot recall the readings well but they showed that the patient had lost a lot of blood. She indicated that she left the wounds and went to assist on the drip that did not get in. “The patient was restless and had started to breathe with difficulty. At that moment the doctor arrived and he wanted to assist on inserting the drip but he also failed,” said Major General Ramoqopo.
Furthermore, she indicated that they concluded that since the patient was now breathing in difficulty they decided to help him, incubating him but a lot of blood came from his mouth stopping them from doing what they wanted. “We used a machine that was close to us to suck out secretions from the mouth but when we thought we had sucked out enough it would get worse. We ended up giving him oxygen through the mask. We continued to suck out the secretions until the other doctor arrived, (doctor Rishi),” said Major General Ramoqopo.
She showed that the patient state dropped rapidly and it did not give them a chance to go to theater. “After a few minutes in there still trying to help the patient, he went into coma, the patient had stopped talking to us like before and was no longer able to breathe and his vitals dropped,” said Major General Ramoqopo. She said the doctors and paramedics tried to give the patient CPR but the moment they stopped everything stopped too and they proceeded with recitation but later stopped and they concluded that the patient has died.
In conclusion, Major General Ramoqopo said, “It was around 16:00 pm, immediately after the doctors certified the patient is dead I left to my office and called Major General Poopa informing him about all that has happened. From there my other colleagues continued to do the last services on the patient who was now the deceased. I call Major General Poopa to call the police because I realized this was the police case and he promised to do that.” She said they stayed up the entire night till morning and handed over to her senior and still did not hear from the police.
