The quite tragic story of a pregnant lady who lost her life and that of her unborn twins at the FMC Abeokuta has been shared on the internet.
What’s the next step for a hospital, when the twins in a pregnant woman in its facility have been certified dead? This is the question the family of late Josephine Olayemi Odufowora, who was allegedly neglected and left to die by personnel of Federal Medical Centre, Abeokuta, despite fulfilling all requirements, are asking. Gboyega Alaka of The Nation reports.
That Josephine Olayemi Odufowora, a pregnant woman, who was brought into the Federal Medical Centre, Idi-Aba, Abeokuta on the 13th of June, 2020 died is no news.
That she also lost both her twins in the process of accessing treatment for delivery, which ultimately led to her death, is also no news.
What her family are however not willing to have swept under the carpet is the manner of her death, which they ascribed to negligence on the part of the personnel at the federal facility.
They would have none of the explanations being offered by the hospital’s Medical Director via a press statement signed by its Head, Public Relations & Information, Segun Orisajo, notably, that Josephine “discharged herself from the Centre against medical advice while her treatment was fully on course” and that “she was given the best of medical care and services available at our disposal.”
According to the hospital’s statement, “The above named patient was referred from State Hospital Ota on account of thyroid disease in pregnancy as estimated gestational age of 25 weeks complicated with severe lower abdominal pain.”
It also stated that “the team on call saw her on the 13th of June, 2020 at 10.10pm and that “the diagnosis of Graves’s disease in pregnancy (multiple gestations) was confirmed,” adding that she was resuscitated, while several investigations were requested.
Josephine’s family are however claiming that this is an attempt to cover up their errors, using “distorted facts with colossal and blatant lies,” describing it as “the most wicked statement of this generation.”
The family, through a statement signed by the deceased’s husband, Odufowora David and brother, Olayemi Philip, are claiming that the late Josephine was never attended to for 24 hours, despite the fact that she came into the facility in throes of pain and in dire need of urgent attention.
“She was never attended to for 24-hours! And, as a matter of fact, there was no treatment on course. Our hearts are more pained by this wicked and heartless statement.
Josephine was never given any service talk less of being given the best. She was just carelessly neglected.”
They also debunked the claim that the hospital staff resuscitated Josephine, arguing that she never passed out: “How can you perform a ‘CPR’ on a patient who never passed out? ‘… ‘who walked into your hospital actively with cramps in her lower abdomen?”
They insist that after all prescribed tests were made and given to the nurses on duty on Monday 14 June by 9:00am, not a single attention was paid to her, causing a concerned woman to advise them to take her to nearby Sacred Heart (hospital), Lantoro, if they cared to save her life.
Culled from The Nation
