Woman, newborn die after caesarean section at Akwa Ibom general hospital as relatives accuse negligence

A woman and her newborn have died in an Akwa Ibom State hospital following aIkot Ekpene caesarean section as relatives accuse hospital of negligence.

The Akwa Ibom state government confirmed the incident in a statement on Sunday, August 31.

The deaths occurred at the state owned General Hospital in Ikot Ekpene.

While the woman’s name and the specific date of the incident are not yet known, it appears to have taken place on Saturday, August 30.

The state commissioner of health Ekem John, stated that the government’s attention was drawn to a video of the incident posted on Facebook social media platform.

He said the Akwa Ibom State governor, Umo Eno, directed him to set up a commission of inquiry, comprising medical and legal experts, to establish the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident and recommend measures to prevent future occurrences.

He assured the public that the government would be transparent in its investigation and that verified cases of negligence will attract appropriate sanction in line with civil service and professional regulations.

A video clip circulating on Facebook shows a weeping woman, who says she is a sister of the deceased. She is accusing the hospital of negligence.

She said, “My sister has died. There were no doctors here. They didn’t open the theatre, my sister was unattended to, for over three hours, the woman cried, while calling on governor Eno to intervene in the case.

“When they finally operated on her, the baby died. Two minutes after the baby died.

“I begged the doctor to have blood available in case of another emergency (in the woman’s situation), but they ignored me because I am not a doctor or a nurse.

“In those dying minutes, they now looked for another pint of blood; they did not see it (blood) in the whole of this hospital.

“The doctors neglected my sister, and she died.”

Nigeria faces an acute shortage of doctors and other health workers, as many of them prefer to work abroad for better pay and living conditions.

In many states in Nigeria, the few doctors in government hospitals also own and run private medical facilities.