Posted by By Bassey Bassey, Uyo on
The death in a general hospital in Akwa Ibom State, of a pregnant woman under spurious circumstances, has generated anger and strife between the deceased's family and the State Ministry of Health.
The death in a general hospital in Akwa Ibom State, of a pregnant woman under spurious circumstances, has generated anger and strife between the deceased's family and the State Ministry of Health.
The family of the deceased has petitioned the Commissioner of Health demanding the sum of five million naira from the state government as compensation for the loss, which they claim was caused by the negligence of one of the medical doctors in its service.
Peace Albert Frank died on June 23, 2004, at the General Hospital, Etinan when she was allegedly abandoned for two days in acute labour pains by the medical personnel on duty.
In a petition filed by the family solicitors - Ita Akwaowo and Company, they stated the events that led to the unfortunate death of the lady are as follows: Late Mrs. Frank aged 29, was a patient of the General Hospital, Etinan. A mother of two male children, the last of whom was delivered by caesarian section.
Peace Frank was admitted in the hospital on June 23, 2004. The evening of that day she went into labour pains and at around midnight, the pains became unbearable and the nurses sent for one Dr. Akpan, who came in and checked on her.
The story has it that when Dr. Akpan came out he called the deceased's mother-in-law aside and told her that the foetus was dead and what needed to be done at that stage was to try and save the live of the mother.
The doctor told the mother-in-law that they couldn't perform operation on the deceased because there was no anesthesia in the hospital. He brought out his car and conveyed the deceased to one Dr. Bassey's clinic in Etinan. On getting there, he discovered that Dr. Bassey had traveled and he now told the nurses to get the patient out of the car. When she was brought out, the relations said they noticed that she had collapsed and the time was about 1.30 a.m.
Noticing the condition of the patient, Dr. Akpan was said to have ordered that she be placed on drip till daybreak. After the drip had been fixed, at about 2 a.m. Dr. Akpan left the hospital. At about 6.30 a.m., he came back and as at that time, the patient's breathing became abnormal.
Dr. Akpan was said to have recommended blood transfusion and directed the deceased's mother-in-law to go to a local laboratory and bring a lab staff to assist in transfusing the blood. The mother-in-law left and came back with a lab technician, but when she returned, the doctor was nowhere to found and the patient, Peace Albert Frank, was dead.
The family was further informed that the said Dr. Akpan invited one Dr. Esen, said to be a medical superintendent, to operate on the lady, but he merely came around, saw the lady in pains and walked away.
The family of the deceased is angered that a general hospital of that magnitude in Etinan with an operating theatre, did not have anesthesia not to talk of an ambulance to transfer patients to other hospitals in case of emergency.
As a patient who had caesarian before, the patient should have been treated as high risk that needed all the extra care the hospital could afford, the family said.
The petition said that the deceased had left behind two infants aged 4 years and 1 year, five months respectively, and a jobless husband. It claimed the deceased was the breadwinner as she was working at the College of Education, Afaha Nsit before her death.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Edet Attih was said to be on retreat with other members of the State Executive Council, when Day Sun called in his office. A top official of the Ministry confirmed the receipt of the petition.