Doctors at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital ( LUTH)
Idi-Araba, Lagos have been accused of causing the death of Ngozi Udebu, a 46
years old married woman and teacher at St. Finbarrs college Yaba on March 28th.
Speaking to the Nation, husband of the deceased who is an estate developer,
Ausbet Udebu, said professional misconduct by the doctor's led to the death of
his wife on Easter Monday.
According to him, the
physician diagnosed and treated his late wife of ulcer but the autopsy showed
that she died of Asphyxia which is the loss of consciousness due to the body’s
inability to deliver oxygen to its tissues.
Narrating how his wife got to LUTH, 56 years old Ausbet said
himself and his family members had gone to
St. Dominic’s Catholic Church in Yaba, Lagos to celebrate Good Friday
mass and when they returned, his daughter called him that their mother had
severe stomach pain.
“We rushed her to LUTH around 9pm with my wife writhing in
pains. She underwent some tests/scan and
the results were ready before 7am the following day.”
He said he took the results to the doctors and was asked to
wait until they were ready for ward rounds.
Narrating further, Ausbet said“After about 90 minutes, a
doctor finally turned up, checked her and said the scan revealed some trace of
ulcer. The doctor prescribed Gascol and an injection which were not available
at LUTH. I bought the prescribed drugs. Still, there was no relief. The doctor
then prescribed another brand of injection called IV NEXIUM. Again, I bought
it.”
He alleged that the emergency unit where his wife and mother
of his four children was kept had no light, fan and good ventilation. According
to him, he had to use his phone
flashlight to assist the doctor in finding his wife’s vein, adding that he
fanned her because she was sweating profusely and had difficulty breathing
because of the stuffy room.
“My wife was moved to the female ward later where I was told
that no patient relation was allowed to stay. Even her younger sister
volunteered to stay and help her out in case of any need but the nurses
refused, saying it was against the hospital’s policy. During this time, my
wife’s condition deteriorated to the extent of needing oxygen. I bought an
oxygen mask to help her breathe. In her weak state, my wife pleaded with the
nurses to permit me or her younger sister to be with her through the night, but
her plea was equally turned down. ‘Daddy, don’t go’ was the last words I heard
her say. I felt dejected as I was forced out of the ward around 11pm.”
Udebu said he got to the hospital the following day around
6am with his eldest daughter, only to be told of his wife's passing.
“The curtain over her bed was already drawn. Immediately I
suspected something eerie. I did not want to believe my wife and mother of my
four children was no more. I was told my wife died in the early hours of that
morning. Nobody contacted the family when she passed on. Everything about LUTH
is wrong. A ward with more than 35 patients with only two nurses available to
attend to them. It was later I learnt any patient who registered in any of the
doctors’ private clinics will have an army of doctors attending to him/her
because he/she has paid in the doctor’s private clinic.”
A relative of the deceased, Quincy Opara, who also spoke on
the incident said "The doctor concluded that her death was caused by ulcer
even before an autopsy was carried out. The result of the autopsy came out, to
the surprise of everybody, it stated that she died of asphyxia. What is the
relationship between asphyxia and ulcer which was the doctor’s ‘diagnosis’?
This is shameful and above all disgraceful for Nigeria’s prime health
institution. The nurse on duty when confronted that they may not have known
when she passed on said that she passed on at 3am. She claimed that they
battled to save her life.”
When contacted, spokesperson of the hospital, Kelechi
Otuneme said he was aware of the incident but however cannot speak on it.
“I cannot say anything; management is looking into the
matter”, he said.
Meanwhile the corpse of the deceased has been deposited at a
morgue in Delta state.
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