A Kano-based mother of five, Aishatu Umar has passed away after an alleged case of medical negligence at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre, a government-owned health facility.
CKNNews reports that Abubakar Mohammed, a relative of the deceased said Aishatu died after enduring months of severe abdominal pain following a surgical procedure carried out at the hospital about four months ago.
Mohammed said the surgery took place in September. After that, Aishatu began to have ongoing and worsening abdominal pain. He claimed that even though she went back to the hospital several times, she was only given pain-relief medication and no further tests were done.
“She underwent surgery at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre in September. After that, she complained of severe abdominal pain for months. Each time she returned to the hospital, she was given painkillers,” Mohammed said.
He further explained that medical tests and scans were eventually conducted just days before her death, revealing that a pair of scissors had allegedly been left inside her body during the initial surgery.
“It was only two days ago that scans were carried out, and that was when doctors discovered that scissors had been forgotten inside her body. Plans were made for another surgery, but she passed away before it could be done,” he added.
Mohammed described the incident as a clear case of negligence and called on the Kano State Government and relevant health regulatory authorities to conduct a thorough investigation and ensure justice for the deceased.
“How can medical professionals forget a pair of scissors inside a patient’s body? This is unacceptable and damages the integrity of the health sector,” he said.
In response to the incident, the Kano State Hospitals Management Board said it had ordered an immediate
and thorough investigation to find out the facts and circumstances around Aishatu’s death.
The Executive Secretary of the board, Dr Mansur Mudi Nagoda, said in a statement from the board’s Public Relations Officer, Samira Suleiman, that the investigation would be open, fair, and handled professionally.
The board emphasized that the issue would not be ignored and promised to take proper action if negligence is found.