27 year old Temiloluwa Adewunmi, the mother of six months
old Oluwamurewa pictured right, has cried out after a hospital in Lagos,
Ayodele Hospital in Fagba, area, allegedly seized the corpse of her six months
old son who died in the hospital on Saturday February 6th. Narrating what
happened to The Nation, the trader said her son had fallen ill last Wednesday
Feb. 3rd and was taken to General hospital where some drugs were given to him.
She said her son felt better after taking the medications
but suddenly became ill on Saturday and was rushed to Ayodele hospital where he
was immediately placed on Oxygen. She said her baby died following a power
outage which resulted in the oxygen mask not working. The bereaved mother said
her cry for help when the power went off was not heeded by both the nurses and
doctors as the power did not come on even after 30 minutes.
"When we got
to the general hospital last Wednesday, we were told he should be admitted but
there was no bed space. I bought the drug prescribed by the physician and my
son’s temperature returned to normal. I was so shocked on Saturday morning when
his temperature became high again. As my husband and I wanted to take him back
to the general hospital, there was traffic gridlock so we resorted to Ayodele
Hospital since it was in our neighbourhood,” she said.
Temiloluwa said when they got to the hospital, they were
asked to pay N5,000 for card
“My husband paid
N2,000 and excused himself to use the Automated Teller Machine (ATM).
Immediately my son was attended to. He was placed on drip and oxygen. Even when
the doctor asked if he was convulsing, I told him he has never convulsed.
Within few minutes, my son began to sweat and I felt he was getting better. The
doctors also assured me he was going to be fine. As I sat beside him on his
sick bed, there was power outage and I noticed the oxygen stopped moving. I ran
out of the room to call for help but nobody answered me. I even went to knock
the doctor’s door but no one was there. The nurses said they were going to put
on the generator but it came on after 30 minutes. I removed the hose passed
through his nose to aid breathing to allow breeze blow him. Before I removed
it, he had already stretched his arms, I didn’t know he was about to leave me.
It was later doctors came in, one of them placed his hands on my son’s chest
but he was no more. I realised the owner of the hospital was just describing
where the heart was to the doctor attending to my son. Before they put on the
generator, it was my phone’s light I used to see how my son was doing. I have
never attended the hospital before, even when I was pregnant, my friends
advised me not to go there"she said
The bereaved mother said when the family went to collect her
son’s remains the next day February 7th, the hospital allegedly refused and
demanded N40,000 before the body could be removed.
“When we got
there, I was shocked to see my son’s body beside the hospital’s dust bin. Even when
my husband shouted that his son be given to him, the hospital management called
police officers from Oko-Oba division to take him away. It is unfair. I have
not been able to sleep. I see my son wherever I go. I want to bury him. I just
got married last year and he is my first child. At three months, Murewa already
had two set of tooth. He was a cute gentle boy. Whenever I took him to the
market, he understood I was busy. He never disturbed me. I didn’t give him any
home medication. I was even meant to use the money I had on me to stock my shop
but my son is priority. Immediately I noticed his temperature, I went to the
general hospital where I spent almost the whole day. I need my son’s body.”she
said
The management of the hospital has however faulted claims by
the mother that they seized the child's corpse for no reason. According to
hospital’s administration manager, George Abayomi, the family has not been able
to retrieve the corpse of their child because the father of the boy destroyed
some of the hospital facilities following the death of his son. He also denied
claims that the hospital did not put on their generator immediately power went
off
“We have two
standby generators in our premises; why should it take us 30 minutes to put on
the generator. His parents brought him at the last minute. He died as a result
of anaemia heart failure. When the father got aware of his son’s death, he
began to destroy the hospital property and he couldn’t be restrained. He
promised to burn down the hospital. After he left, he returned around 12:20am
with a gallon of petrol which he sprinkled in the reception, it was when we
couldn’t control him that we invited police officers from Oko-Oba division. He
came this morning (yesterday) around 9am to take his son’s body but we told him
he had an outstanding balance to pay. He has to pay the bill of the services
rendered. At times, in such cases, we give discount but they are insisting on
not paying. He even said if we want to eat the body, we should. The body was
taken to a morgue in Ikeja on Sunday and we paid N16,000”he said
A doctor in the hospital, Stanley Nwanali, said the deceased
boy's file showed that he was brought in almost in “coma, pale and with an
enlarged liver”.
The Lagos State Public Advice Centre (PAC) has intervened in
the matter, which has been referred to the Ministry of Health and Health
Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency (HEFAMAA) for investigation.
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