An Abuja-based lawyer, Anthony Ejumejowo, has petitioned the Minister
for Health, Osagie Ehaniren, the Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory, Musa Bello, and Chairman of the Medical and Dental Council
of Nigeria (MDCN), over “negligence of doctors and management” of the
Nisa Garki hospital, leading to the death of his wife, Esther
Ejumejowo.
The human rights lawyer is also suing Nisa Garki Hospital for the
death of his wife on October 5, 2019.
In a petition signed by his counsel, Innocent Ukoha, a copy of which
was made available to SaharaReporters, Ejumejowo, alleged deliberate
attempt to cover up the incident.
The petition, ‘How My Wife Died From The Gross Negligence Of Doctors
And Management Of Nisa Garki Hospital, Abuja: Demand For The
Investigation Of Death Of Mrs. Ejumejowo Elohor Esther (Nee Aroriode)
Caused By The Negligence Of The Doctors And Management Of Nisa Garki
Hospital, Abuja’, called for the immediate investigation to the
circumstances leading to the death of his wife.
“We act as lawyers for the family of Ejumejowo Anthony (hereinafter
referred to as our “client”) on whose behalf and instructions we write
to you.
“It is our brief that our client’s deceased wife Mrs. Ejumejowo Elohor
Esther (nee Aroriode) with EMR number 34445 was a patient of the Nisa
Garki Hospital for about nine years and was sometime in January, 2019
registered for antenatal treatment and management and which antenatal
diligently attended until she was delivered of a baby girl on the 12
September, 2019 at about 2.13pm.
“It is further our brief that the wife of our client died on the 5
October 2019 from the complications arising from her delivery as a
result of the negligence of the doctors and management of Nisa Garki
Hospital.
“We hereby formally demand for the investigation of the circumstances
surrounding the management of the health of our client’s deceased wife
while in the care of the said Nisa Garki hospital, Abuja. Our client
undertakes to pay any expenses related to investigation and shall be
available whenever his attention or attendance is required.”
An affidavit in support of his claims, deposed to by Anthony
Ejumejowo, at the federal high court, noted: “The facts deposed to in
this affidavit are comprised of facts of events that I have personal
knowledge of as well as facts related to me by my wife throughout the
period of her antenatal healthcare, after her delivery on 12 September
2019 before her death on the 5 October 2019.
“That my wife during her visit on the 11 September, 2019 to the
hospital and while still in the premises of the hospital called me at
about 2.30 pm to inform me that a certain female doctor, a senior
registrar who examined her that day has counseled her that having
reached full term and due to her condition to undergo a caesarian
session to deliver the baby and which advice I orally agreed to based
on the advice of the said doctor.
“That surprisingly, my wife returned home at about an hour later to
inform me that she called one Dr. Onuh whose other names are unknown
to me, another senior registrar of the hospital who delivered her of
our last child five years ago and who is the doctor that has managed
her in the pregnancy under contention and that he informed my wife to
go home and return the next day being 12 September, 2019 to the
hospital for him to further examine her.
“That my wife informed me that the said Dr. Onuh informed her on the
phone that he does not agree with the diagnosis of the other doctor
that examined my deceased wife the previous day and assured her that
her health or that of the baby was not in danger based on the medical
records from her previous visits during antenatal and her other visits
complaining of shortness of breath, sleeplessness and swollen feet.
“That some hours after the delivery of the baby, my wife complained of
severe pains and discomfort in her vaginal resulting from the stitches
in a tear from delivery and on examination by the said Dr Onuh, it was
discovered that a pad was stitched and left in her vagina by the
doctor that took delivery of her and after which the said blood
stained pad was removed by the said Dr Onuh and her vagina
re-stitched.
“That surprisingly, on the 5 October, 2019 at about 4 pm, my wife
collapsed while sitting and feeding her baby shortly after her lunch
and was rushed to the Federal Medical Centre, Abuja being the nearest
hospital and was pronounced dead on arrival.”
Meanwhile, when contacted to speak on the issue on Monday, Managing
Director of Nisa Garki Hospital, Adamu Onu, told SaharaReporters, the
hospital management would prefer to wait for the outcome of the
investigation of the incident.
“We will prefer on our part to wait for verdict of the Medical and
Dental Council of Nigeria. We understand that he is probably grieving
over the death of his wife but what we can say is that we offered
treatment according to the best ethical principles and medical
practice.
“In any case, the wife did not die in our hospital, she died at the
federal medical centre, Garki. So, that is all we are willing to say
on this matter, we prefer to wait for the Medical and Dental Council
of Nigeria verdict.”
