Man tackles hospital for wife, baby’s death

A 46-year-old tipper driver, Yesiru Ajayi, has accused a private hospital, Iyaniwura Medical Centre, of killing his pregnant wife while conducting an operation on her.

Neither the mother nor the child survived the incident, which occurred on October 25 2013, in the Mowe area of Ogun State.

The hospital management also allegedly demanded the payment of N156,000 from the father of four, before the corpse would be released to him.

Our correspondent learnt that the bill resulted in a fracas in the hospital as relatives of the deceased fought with the doctors and nurses.

The atmosphere was still sober when PUNCH Metro visited the bereaved Ajayi at his Mowe residence on Wednesday. He was surrounded by sympathisers.

He said, “We were married for 11 years and  blessed with four kids. The first time, we had twins; so that’s why she was called Iya Ibeji.

“Rashidat was initially registered with the Sagamu General Hospital. Because of the doctors’ strike, I had to register her at Iyaniwura.”

Ajayi told PUNCH Metro that 40-year-old Rashidat had undergone two different scans. The first was done when the pregnancy was three months and again at seven months. They were allegedly told by the clinic that all was well.

Two weeks before Rashidat died, however, she reportedly complained of pains all over her body and was taken to the hospital. She was already past her Expected Date of Delivery.

“She told me it was not labour pain. After she saw the doctor, he told her to come back on Friday (last week). He said if she still did not feel any labour pain, that he would give her a drug to induce labour.

“Although I was surprised to hear that, but since I was not a specialist, I couldn’t say anything,” Ajayi added.

He said on the appointed day, he went to work and asked his brother to take his wife to the hospital. This was around 9am.

Ajayi said when he got to the hospital at 8pm, Rashidat was still in the labour room and complaining of severe pains.

 After two hours of waiting at the hospital reception, the presiding doctor allegedly rushed in and told Ajayi that they needed to buy blood.

“He told me the situation was getting worse and she was already bleeding so I gave them N10, 000 to buy blood.

 “I was also asked to sign some papers so they could carry out an operation on her. This I did. After a while, the doctor later called me to say that Rashidat did not make it. I thought I was dreaming,” Ajayi recalled.

He alleged that his wife’s death was caused by the drug she was given to induce labour. He also said the baby girl,  whom the doctors delivered, was still alive when he saw her. However, a few moments later, he observed a nurse blocking the baby’s nose, saying she had died.

A relative, Nurat Akande, implored the state government to investigate the activities of the hospital.

She said, “A medical doctor was already operating on Rashidat before another medical personnel was invited.

“We know our fate is sealed, but this should not continue. Many people who don’t have money will continue to fall victim if nothing is done about it.”

The Medical Director of Iyaniwura Medical Centre, was said to have travelled to Abeokuta when PUNCH Metro called at the hospital at Ogunjobi Falana Close, Mowe.

A doctor on duty, Ogechukwu Nnarom, however, dismissed the claim that the hospital was not competent to perform the surgery.

He said, “The owner of the hospital is a licensed consultant in Obstetrics and Gynecology. The three doctors here are all qualified and we have been in this area for over 10 years. We are arguably the best around here. The woman in question had been coming for ante-natal checks.

“The problem was that she had had many children, so her uterus had expanded. She was in labour when she came that day and everything was fine until the uterus stopped contracting.

“She started bleeding because her uterus had ruptured.  The surgery was meant to save Rashidat’s life, not to bring out the baby. We asked for four units of blood, but they were only able to provide one. She died on the table while we were trying to repair the uterus.”

Nnarom made no mention of any drug given to Rashidat to induce labour. He also made no mention of the money demanded by the hospital before the corpse would be released.

Punch