A
pastor with a Pentecostal ministry, Chinedu Rockson, has accused the management
of Ilogbo Central Hospital in the Ajangbadi area of Lagos State of removing his
wife’s womb and damaging her bladder during childbirth.
Chinedu
said the hospital also detained his wife over the payment of N50,000, adding
that efforts to clear the bill had been frustrated by the hospital.
It was learnt that Chinedu’s
wife, Chinansa, had been referred to the hospital on August 26, 2016, after she
could not be delivered of the baby at the hospital where she had her antenatal
care.
The
hospital reportedly commenced a caesarean section on the 42-year-old after her
husband signed some documents to perfect the terms.
Chinedu
explained that some hours into the operation, he was called into the theatre to
sign another document, adding that nobody told him it was for the removal of
his wife’s womb.
He
said, “They charged N200, 000 for the operation and we negotiated for N150,000.
I paid a deposit of N30,000 and they started the operation.
“They
asked me to sign some papers, which I did. Some hours later, a surgeon said
there had been complications and I would need to sign another document. He
didn’t tell me what I was signing for or the implications. Because I was in a
haste to get my wife saved, I signed the document.
“After
some time, they brought out my wife from the theatre with a pipe attached to
her bladder. We became worried when we discovered that few days afterwards,
they didn’t remove the pipe.
“After
a week, they said I should come and clear my bill of N50,000 so they could
discharge her. I called a senior pastor, who presented them with a cheque. But
they said they would keep her for the two weeks that the cheque would be ready
to be cashed.”
It was gathered that a
sister-in-law, who visited the victim at the hospital, asked the management why
the pipe had yet to be removed.
The
hospital was said to have opened up that Chinansa’s womb had been removed and
her bladder damaged.
“They
said she cannot control her urine without the pipe. That was when I realised
what had happened,” Chinedu said.
The
pastor lamented that his wife’s medical condition had worsened, adding
that he could neither afford the hospital bill nor take her back home in her
present condition.
It
was learnt that the couple, who are indigenes of Anambra State, married in 2002
and had four children, including the newborn baby.
Lawyer
to the Rockson family, Chris Ogbedeneto, in a petition to the state
Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, called for an investigation into the
case.
He
said, “Why should there be a second signing? They scared the husband with the
sight of his wife in a pool of blood and did not let him know what he was
signing for. What is the relationship between the womb and the bladder and why
does the hospital’s director now want to discharge the woman when it is obvious
that her life is in danger?
“The
doctor’s action can breach the peace of the community if urgent actions are not
taken. Our client feels debased and suffers a mental and psychological trauma
on realising that the wife’s womb has been cut off and the bladder affected
without his consent and his wife cannot control her urine anymore.”
The
hospital, in its reaction, denied any wrong doing in the matter, saying
Chinansa was in a bad shape when she was admitted.
A
director at the hospital, Dr Femi Obileyi, said the mother of four could have
died but for the quick intervention of the hospital.
He
said, “We are known for standard in the area where we operate and that is why
we enjoy a lot of patronage. The woman in question had been mismanaged ab initio. She burst her womb in the first hospital where
she registered. They pressed her womb to force the baby out and that action
ruptured the womb. When she was brought to us, she was bleeding because the
labour had become obstructed.
“We
discovered that to save her life, we would need to do a surgery. At surgery, we
discovered that her uterus had burst, which had also affected her
bladder. We first stopped the bleeding and then made some repairs. It was
after all these that we discovered she could not control her urine.
“When
they came to us, they had issues with money, which we didn’t allow to be a
barrier. We admitted her and did everything possible to save her life. We can’t
imagine that after saving her life, the family will turn around to fight us.
“The
man was called in when the attempts to repair the womb proved abortive. He was
informed that the tear was serious and we had to save her life. We did that to
carry him along, and he gave his consent.”
When
contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, said she
would get back on the case, but she had yet to do so as of press time.
Source:The
Punch
Tags
Society