February 9, 2009
Dear Editor: Please find below a soft copy of the attached affidavit sworn to by Mr. Daramola. His wife lost her live about a year ago during childbirth.
On the unfaithful day, Mrs. Daramola, a mother of three, took public transport to the hospital and walked in by herself at about 8:00 am. She passed away about 20 hours later. Determination was made that she needed C-Section and about 8 hours after the hospital began looking for their surgeons, she passed away.
The husband has written to the management of Gbagada General Hospital; Gov. Babatunde Raji Fashola; Nigeria Medical and Dental Association and to the Commissioner for Health of Lagos State. One year later, the killers of his wife are still hanging around roaming the street and masquerading as health care givers. They are probably killing many other people, day in day out.
A general hospital MUST be in position to perform emergency surgery 24/7. If you are in position to help secure justice in this case please contact the husband on [email protected]. He can also be reached on 0805-564-8513.
Please don’t be indifferent. Your action may help save numerous other lives, including yours.
Hakeem Bakare CMA, PhD
(Brother of the deceased)
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The above subject refers to how I lost my wife during child delivery due to the carelessness of the management of Gbagada General Hospital (GGH), on 22nd January 2008.
Background Information
My wife who was a mother of three children registered for antenatal clinic at the Gbagada General Hospital (GGH). She appeared for her first clinic day on 22nd October 2007.
As instructed by the hospital, she carried out two ultra-sound during the gestation period; the first was on 5th Nov.2007 and the last (2nd) 14th January 2008. She regularly attended antenatal clinic without omitting a day and she went every other day to complain of any noticeable strange symptoms experienced. We seriously relied on GGH, as she had no other hospital during this period. She followed the hospital (clinic) instructions to the maximum as every requirement and prescription followed to the latter.
The probable delivery date from the hospital was 19th January 2008.
She appeared in GGH on 21st January 2008 before 8.00am for antenatal, which later resulted, to delivery. She was mismanaged until she gave up the ghost at about 3.30 am (according to her death certificate) on 22nd January 2008
HOW IT HAPPENED
My wife was a regular attendee of Gbagada General Hospital (GGH) antenatal clinic prior to the labour process that led to her demises on 22nd January 2008.
Prior to 21st January 2008, there was no sign of labour experienced, but towards the daybreak on 21st January 2008; she experienced stomach contractions, not so serious, as she was not sure it was a sign of true labor or false labor. She left home 7.00am on 21/1/08 for hospital as the day was her clinic (antenatal) due date. She left alone on public bus only with her antenatal materials as it was not serious and she was not sure of the stage.
Fortunately she was admitted for labor and her loads were brought to her, we did communicate on cell phone from time to time to be assured of no problem.
At about 8.00pm in the evening on 21st January 2008, the Assistant Chief Matron on duty informed the doctor (Dr Anifowose) that the fetus was bigger then an average baby and that her contraction was weak. She however concluded that my wife might not be able to have self-delivery. Dr Anifowose initially did not consent to the report; instead, he said that the woman (my wife) was unnecessarily lazy.
At about 9.00pm on 21/1/08, Dr. Anifowose later proposed a caesarean operation. Unfortunately there was no other Doctors around him even obstetrician was not on hand to carry out the operation while my wife was going through the labor pain. Though the Doctor assured me that all other Doctors and facilities will be available before I finish the process of what he called blood crossing examination in the hospital’s laboratory.
At about 10.00pm I was directed to get blood ready from hospital lab and to buy some medicine .The procedure for the blood was not given while the lab attendants on duty (2 females) have slept, it took me a long time to wake them up. Their behavior was nothing to write home about.
It was terrible dealing with the officials on duty on that day, in fact, l ran round the edges of female delivery hall to Lab four times weeping before I could get the first pant of blood. Can you imagine what could have happened to collect the second and third pint of blood respectively because every time l reached there, they have gone to inner room to sleep.
When the blood was finally ready, there was still no any other Doctor on hand but only Dr. Anifowose, he was still calling those Doctors concerned to get ready for the operation and promised to send an ambulance to them. Unfortunately, the only Ambulance attached to the hospital according to a driver was not on ground, but said to have developed electrical fault on 3rd mainland bridge, but assured to return soon.
I suggested using any of our two vehicles on ground but the doctor that it was not proper in the interest of the doctor to use non-ambulance vehicle turned down the suggestion.
When every effort proved abortive, the Doctor and his staff on ground could not do anything again and the situation was getting out of hands, they saw that the woman was dying gradually, they suggested referring her to Island Maternity at a critical time and situation.
A referral letters was subsequently issued after my persistent cry andappeals to safe the life of the baby and the mother. Having issued the referral letter, the Doctor and the Nurse who would have accompanied my wife (their patient) to Island Maternity complained it was too late and dangerous for their life as there was no ambulance. I offered to use our two cars on ground for the conveyance of the patient and the official but they refused to follow the patient. I remembered I asked what of my life, and one of them said “sebi, she is your patient"
In the process of cleaning and dressing up for my wife, she fainted at about 11.30 pm in the hands of the nurse and she was revived. After her recovery there was a message that the Ambulance had arrived which was immediately instructed to go and carry Dr (Mrs.) Owodunni. The woman Doctor arrived when nothing could be done again .the vehicle left again to carry Dr Saheed (AKA Oko – Oloyun) the Obstetrician but they came back without Dr Saheed with the reason best known to them and not known to me.
Meanwhile my boss in my office of work invited the Critical Resque Team (CRT) who arrived at GGH at about 1.00am on 22nd Jan 2008. Initially, they were not allowed to participate in the treatment of the patient, after conversation, when they were eventually allowed access to the patient, they left some minutes later by saying that they could not render any assistance as it was too late and the situation was hopeless.
All the calls that were put through to some Doctors for assistance, only Dr (Mrs.) Owodunni responded late for the administration of anesthesia while the main Doctor that would have carried out the operation was not available in the hospital. Dr Saheed later appeared on his private vehicle around 3.00am on 22nd January 2008 only to carry perhaps the corpse of my wife to the theater hall. It is important to note that consent note to perform operation on my wife was given to me at about 4.00am on 22nd January 2008 while the death certificate later issued showed that my wife died at about 3.30 am on 22nd January 2008 and no surgical operation was performed on her till she died.
MEDICAL RECORD OF LATE MRS DARAMOLA BOLANLE AT GGH
Card No: 0908556-Photocopy attached.
Date Opened: 22/10/2007
Last Admission Date 21st January 2008
MY QUESTIONS
1. Where were the theater’s Doctors on duty as at that time
2. Where was one functional operational vehicle (Ambulance) as at that particular time and why was it outside?
3. Why did it take the Hospital management too late to prepare for the operation?
4. What is the competency level of Dr Anifowose and why was he the only doctor to be on duty?
5. Why should an offer to use my vehicle to convey the Doctors turned down earlier if Dr Saheed could arrive later with his private vehicle safely?
6. Why did it take Dr Anifowose so long to refer the patient to another General Hospital when he knew he was not competent to handle such case?
7. Why should they refuse my request to accompany the patient to the referred hospital?
8. Why claimed that they could not risk their life without ambulance when the time was safer why should they preferred their patient and her family to go on vehicle other than ambulance at most dangerous and riskier time of the night?
REQUEST
I wish to request that this case be investigated thoroughly and appropriate sanction meted to the erring personnel at the GGH.
The lost of my loving wife is a big blow and the shock was so much that I could not put up this complaint on paper before now. Now that l am trying to recover from the shock, I feel I should put forward my case with the hope that you will give it the attention it deserves in the spirit of justice and to prevent re-occurrence at the GGH.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
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