Chinyere Chukwuma, the wife of the late radio personality, Charles Bruce Chukwuma popularly known as Chaz B has written a piece on how negligence on the part of doctors at St Nicholas Hospital, Lagos killed her husband. The OAP died in the early hours of Saturday, November 22, 2014 of kidney failure. Find her report below.
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“My husband called me at about 6:40 AM, Friday the 21st of November 2014, from work. He asked me to come and pick him up because he was not feeling too good. I left with the driver to get him. When I got there, he was in obvious discomfort and he asked me to take him home. On our way home, I noticed that he was in severe pain, so I asked the driver to reverse the car and head instead to the hospital (St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos). On reaching there, we met Judith, the receptionist. I asked if there was a doctor around.
This was around 7 PM. She said yes and after some time we were asked to go into Room 2. Right there we met a young doctor called Dr. Ogidigben Kevwe. He asked a few questions that I answered while my husband was wallowing in pains. He (Dr. Kevwe) opened an emergency file because according to him, my husband’s file was locked up in Dr. Bamgboye’s office, and no one had access to that office. I told Dr. Kevwe that my husband had incisional hernia surgery done a few months back – August to be precise – at the same hospital, and it was performed by one Dr. Mohan an Indian man, and Dr. Balogun at St. Nicholas Hospital.
He started to examine him. He then left us in his office and said he was coming back. He came back after some minutes and said he was unable to reach Dr. Balogun from the reception, so I dialed Dr. Balogun with my husband’s phone and I and got through. At this point, I gave the phone to Dr. Kevwe, and he began explaining what he thought the problem was to Dr. Balogun. Dr. Balogun asked if my husband was in pains, and Dr. Kevwe said yes. Dr. Kevwe told Dr. Balogun that he suspected intestinal obstruction. Dr. Balogun asked if there was any swelling around where the incision was done, and Dr. Kevwe said no. He then asked if there was any reddish sign around the same area, and Dr. Kevwe said no.
Dr. Kevwe suggested giving him antibiotics, but Dr. Balogun said that they had to be careful what they gave him, since he was a post kidney transplant patient. Dr. Balogun instructed them to give him a particular injection twice to ease the pains, and he said that they should observe him till the next morning. So I left to go get him what he had asked for (his tea and his stockings). On my way home around Bonny Camp, I got a call from a strange number and when I answered, it was Dr. Kevwe.
He asked me to turn back to come pick my husband up, and I asked why. He (Dr. Kevwe) said that my Husband was feeling much better, and wants to go home. I asked the driver to reverse and head back to the hospital. On getting there, I went in and asked the Dr. again why he wants me to take him home. He repeated once again that he feels much better and I asked Dr. Kevwe if he was asking me to take him home because he thought he felt better or because the hospital did not have a bed for him.
I asked this because the nurse had mentioned earlier that she needed to check for bed space. Dr. Kevwe at this point told me that my husband would be fine and he asked me to take him home and bring him the following morning. Meanwhile, before then, Dr. Kewe wrote a prescription of drugs for my husband which I took to the pharmacist and when the lady there saw it, she asked which doctor I saw. I told her that it was Dr. Kevwe. She moved over to the other side and called the doctor’s office. They both argued about the drug that he wrote, and then she gave me just one tablet of Exforge.
When my husband got up from the hospital bed, he staggered and I held him and asked if he was fine. The doctor said that it was the injection that was given to him and he would be fine. So I took him home. Just about 15minutes after we got home, my husband said he felt like throwing up. I brought a bowl to him and he vomited, after which he felt a bit better. He slept for some time and then got up in excruciating pain. Immediately I jumped into my clothes and then called Dr. Balogun, to say that we are on our way back to the hospital.
He said no problem, that a doctor will be waiting for me. I asked him which doctor and he said the doctor is their senior surgeon by the name Dr. Fadiran. Dr. Balogun said that Dr. Fadiran was the doctor on call. We got to the hospital in less than 20 minutes and my husband came down from the car himself. He walked into the hospital by himself before he was wheeled into the ER. Then came Dr. Kevwe, and I asked him about the senior surgeon. He told me that he would be coming very soon. I wasn’t too happy with that, as I had mentioned to Dr. Balogun that my husband was in serious pains. I expected to see a consultant like he said. Dr. Kevwe attempted to place him on an IV drip and this took forever, as he was unable to successfully find a vein while my husband languished in pain. My husband kept telling them (Dr. Kevwe and the nurse) that he wants to throw up or use the restroom, and he would be fine. He kept saying that if he throws up he will be fine.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kevwe was taking instructions on the phone from Dr. Fadiran. This was when I asked when the Dr. would come. I kept asking, “when will the doctor come?” And Dr. Kevwe said Dr. Fadiran asked him to get my entire husband’s information. Dr. Kevwe told me that they are waiting for the Radiologist and the Anesthesiologist, and none of these people showed up. My husband kept on saying that he wants to throw up. But then, Dr. Kevwe asked the nurse to give him an injection, I asked what the injection was for? And he said it will stop him from vomiting.
He became so uncomfortable and was losing his breath. They put him on oxygen, but I guess he was already choking. Meanwhile, Kevwe was still taking instructions from Dr. Fadiran on the phone. At this time, he started gasping for air. Meanwhile, before then, another doctor showed up. I don’t know his name, but he’s average in height and dark complexioned. He inserted a suction tube into his mouth, but I guess he was two hours or more late with that.
Because if that was done when I brought him to the hospital that morning, he would have been here with me today. If Dr. Fadiran were at the hospital, even after he was told that it was an emergency; my husband would have been here with me. If the anesthesiologist was at the hospital, he probably would have been here with me. If the radiologist were around on that morning to at least see what was happening inside of him, he probably would have been here with me. If Dr. Kevwe knew exactly what he was doing that morning without taking instructions from Dr. Fadiran on the phone, with an emergency case right in front of him, my husband would have been here. My husband died of total negligence on the part of St. Nicholas Hospital, and I know it.
As I mentioned earlier, the doctor was 2 hours plus late with the suction, because, at this time, the nurse was already calling my husband’s name, shouting “Mr. Charles, Mr. Charles!” He was given four adrenaline injections. The drip wasn’t going at all, all this while lest I forget. I watched my husband struggled to breath. I watched him fight for his life, and I was right there when he died. Even though they were busy with CPR, I knew when he passed on because immediately he stopped struggling, fluid started gushing out of his mouth and nose. I knew that was it. That was the same fluid that was choking him.
If there were a senior consultant or surgeon at the hospital as at when I brought him, he probably, would have been helped. In between all this, Dr. Kevwe at a time said to Dr. Fadiran on the phone that he should come now as the patient is in a critical condition. He said to the same Dr. Fadiran that 11 O’clock might be too late. I brought my husband at about 6 AM to St. Nicholas Hospital and he died at about 9.30AM without receiving prompt and adequate care. Human life cannot continue to be lost so cheaply in Nigerian hospitals. People must be made to account for their actions as professionals, hence I have contacted my Lawyers to investigate the cause of death. He has died with our dreams, visions, aspirations, and planned future together.
Source: Sahara Reporters