THE Kano State Hospitals Management Board has ordered a full investigation into the death of a housewife, Aishatu Umar, who reportedly died after a surgical procedure at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre in Kano, amid allegations of medical negligence.
The directive was disclosed in a statement issued by the board’s Public Relations Officer, Samira Suleiman, on Tuesday, January 13.
“The Kano State Hospitals Management Board, under the leadership of the Executive Secretary, Dr Mansur Mudi Nagoda, has taken note of the distressing report concerning the late Aishatu Umar,” part of the statement read.
The board assured the public that the probe would be transparent, impartial, and professional, noting that appropriate action would be taken in accordance with established regulations if any negligence is confirmed.
“We extend our deepest condolences to her family and loved ones. The Executive Secretary has ordered an immediate and thorough investigation into the alleged incident at Abubakar Imam Urology Centre to ascertain the facts and circumstances surrounding the matter.
“Patient safety remains our utmost priority, and the board is committed to upholding the highest standards of healthcare delivery in Kano State,” it added.
The ICIR reports that a family member of late Aishatu, Abubakar Muhammed, broke the news of her demise in a Facebook post, calling on the Kano State government and health regulatory bodies to investigate the matter and take action.
“The woman you see here is Aishatu Umar. She was a sister-in-law to me. She passed away yesterday around 1:00am. She is survived by her husband and five children. Living in Kano. She fell ill a few months ago and underwent surgery at the Abubakar Imam Urology Center in September.
“Following the surgery, she suffered from severe abdominal pain. Whenever she went back to the hospital, she was only given pain relievers. She suffered this pain for four months. Just two days ago, tests and scans were finally conducted, revealing that a pair of scissors had been left inside her body during the September operation.
“Efforts were being made to perform a corrective surgery yesterday, but her time had run out, and she passed away. Is this not pure negligence? Truly, every soul has its appointed time, but how can professional doctors forget scissors inside a patient? This tarnishes the reputation of healthcare workers and health authorities,” the family member wrote.
Mohammed’s call for justice is coming just a few days after award-winning Nigerian author, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, raised allegations of medical negligence at Euracare Multispecialist Hospital, Lagos that led to the death of her 21-month-old son Nkanu Nnamdi Adichie-Esege.
Adichie disclosed that Nkanu had initially been treated for what was thought to be a cold before developing a serious infection that required hospitalisation at Atlantis Hospital.
She also said the child was scheduled to travel to the United States on January 7 for further treatment, with a medical team at Johns Hopkins Hospital already waiting in Baltimore but requested a lumbar puncture and an MRI which led her to Euracare.
She said she was waiting outside the theatre when she saw medical personnel rushing in and later learned that Nkanu had been given an overdose of propofol by the anesthesiologist, causing him to become unresponsive, and was resuscitated but developed seizures and suffered cardiac arrest before he died.
Adichie formally issued a legal notice to Euracare Multispecialist Hospital, accusing the facility and its medical personnel of medical negligence and professional misconduct.
The hospital, however, denied the claims.
These latest cases add to the number of distressing reports of medical errors and negligence in Nigerian hospitals, where patients and families especially those without resources or public visibility have repeatedly suffered preventable injury and loss of life due to substandard care, misdiagnosis, drug administration errors and weak regulatory oversight.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.