This is the sad story of Mrs Essien who lost her only son,
Shawn, a two-year-five-month-old baby at a Lagos hospital due to the incompetence
of the doctor in charge. Mrs Essien who was a happy mom until now says she
wants justice for the death of her son and appealing to right authorities to
investigate the hospital in order to prevent more deaths from occurring. It’s such
a sad case. May we not lose our children, may the children we have used our
hands to carry not die in our hands, so sad.
“On December 9, 2015, I took my two-year-five-month-old son
to De Vitals Cares Hospital at Babalola Bus Stop in Ilogbo for treatment. My
child had been restless all night and had woken up weak and with yellowish
eyes. We hurriedly left the house very early in the morning and got to the
hospital a few minutes past 7am. They inserted a cannula (into his body), took
his blood and put him on intravenous fluid immediately (after) his blood had
been taken.
to De Vitals Cares Hospital at Babalola Bus Stop in Ilogbo for treatment. My
child had been restless all night and had woken up weak and with yellowish
eyes. We hurriedly left the house very early in the morning and got to the
hospital a few minutes past 7am. They inserted a cannula (into his body), took
his blood and put him on intravenous fluid immediately (after) his blood had
been taken.
“I asked the medical doctor attending to him why the IV was
given and what drugs were being injected into the IV, since the results of the
tests weren’t out yet. And my son wasn’t passing out stool or vomiting. He
murmured ‘B-complex’ and walked away. About an hour later, the doctor walked
back into the room and I asked him if the test results were out and what the
results of the tests were, he said he would be back and walked out again. He
kept coming in and out of the room without telling me what the results were.
given and what drugs were being injected into the IV, since the results of the
tests weren’t out yet. And my son wasn’t passing out stool or vomiting. He
murmured ‘B-complex’ and walked away. About an hour later, the doctor walked
back into the room and I asked him if the test results were out and what the
results of the tests were, he said he would be back and walked out again. He
kept coming in and out of the room without telling me what the results were.
“This got me very worried. I started to feel something was
horribly wrong with my son and that was why he didn’t want to tell me what the
results were. The next time he came into the room I told him I wanted to know
what the test results were and he said it was acute malaria and his PCV (packed
cell volume) was 18 per cent and that he might need a blood transfusion,”
Essien said.
horribly wrong with my son and that was why he didn’t want to tell me what the
results were. The next time he came into the room I told him I wanted to know
what the test results were and he said it was acute malaria and his PCV (packed
cell volume) was 18 per cent and that he might need a blood transfusion,”
Essien said.
Another IV, a saline solution, she noted was given to her
son, with the hospital medical staff saying it will “wash away the yellowness
from my son’s eyes.”
son, with the hospital medical staff saying it will “wash away the yellowness
from my son’s eyes.”
But her son’s condition worsened.
“My son became very restless when the second IV fluid got
half way and it seemed like he was trying hard to breathe. I asked three nurses
that came into the room if they had a nebulizer but they all didn’t seem to
know what a nebulizer was. They said I shouldn’t be scared that it’s malaria
parasite that made him restless. They kept assuring me that by the next
morning, he will be fine,” Shawn’s mother said.
half way and it seemed like he was trying hard to breathe. I asked three nurses
that came into the room if they had a nebulizer but they all didn’t seem to
know what a nebulizer was. They said I shouldn’t be scared that it’s malaria
parasite that made him restless. They kept assuring me that by the next
morning, he will be fine,” Shawn’s mother said.
With Shawn’s health not improving, the hospital reportedly
gave him a third and a fourth IV. At the third IV, his stomach, arms and feet
were double of their sizes, his mother said. Despite the baby’s worsening
condition, Essien said the hospital assured her the baby would be fine.
gave him a third and a fourth IV. At the third IV, his stomach, arms and feet
were double of their sizes, his mother said. Despite the baby’s worsening
condition, Essien said the hospital assured her the baby would be fine.
“My son seemed to be finding it so hard to breathe. The
doctor came in again and I asked him exactly what all the IV fluids were for;
that my child wasn’t passing out any stool neither was he vomiting. I don’t
think he needs any more IV fluid. He left the room immediately and less than a
minute later a nurse came in and said the doctor asked her to take out the IV.
doctor came in again and I asked him exactly what all the IV fluids were for;
that my child wasn’t passing out any stool neither was he vomiting. I don’t
think he needs any more IV fluid. He left the room immediately and less than a
minute later a nurse came in and said the doctor asked her to take out the IV.
“At about 10.33pm, the doctor came into the room and I said,
‘Doctor, please help me. My baby isn’t getting any better.’ He replied ‘Madam,
pray to God to help you!’ He said he had decided to transfer my son and he
wrote a referral letter for me to take my son to another hospital. My son had
started gasping and his eyes seemed to have gone right into their sockets and
looking even more yellowish,” she added.
‘Doctor, please help me. My baby isn’t getting any better.’ He replied ‘Madam,
pray to God to help you!’ He said he had decided to transfer my son and he
wrote a referral letter for me to take my son to another hospital. My son had
started gasping and his eyes seemed to have gone right into their sockets and
looking even more yellowish,” she added.
By midnight, Essien and Shawn arrived at Isolo General
Hospital. The chubby two-year-old was said to have arrived too late as he died
about two minutes after he arrived the hospital.
Hospital. The chubby two-year-old was said to have arrived too late as he died
about two minutes after he arrived the hospital.
“We got to the Isolo General Hospital, past midnight. The
doctor on call seemed shocked after reading the referral letter. I remember him
murmuring ‘What kind of stupid doctor administered all this medication to a
child!’ He immediately put my son on oxygen and my son passed away in my arms
after about two minutes.
doctor on call seemed shocked after reading the referral letter. I remember him
murmuring ‘What kind of stupid doctor administered all this medication to a
child!’ He immediately put my son on oxygen and my son passed away in my arms
after about two minutes.
Two weeks after Shawn’s death, Essien got a call from one
Dr. Vitalis Mezie, the Chief Medical Director of the private hospital that
treated her baby.
Dr. Vitalis Mezie, the Chief Medical Director of the private hospital that
treated her baby.
“I got a call from a certain Dr. Vitalis. He said he was the
owner and medical director of the hospital where my son was treated. And that
he was calling to apologise for the incompetence of his staff, which led to my
son’s demise. He asked if I could send my address, so that he can come and
apologise face to face and pay condolence. He came over a few days later with a
member of his staff called Jerry.
owner and medical director of the hospital where my son was treated. And that
he was calling to apologise for the incompetence of his staff, which led to my
son’s demise. He asked if I could send my address, so that he can come and
apologise face to face and pay condolence. He came over a few days later with a
member of his staff called Jerry.
“According to Dr. Vitalis, on the day I brought my son to
his hospital, he had a court case in Ijebu-Ode (in Ogun State) and left a
certain doctor in charge. The doctor in charge had to go for Shiloh 2015
(Winners Chapel Church’s convention/crusade), and (that doctor) invited another
doctor who is a friend to stand in for him in the hospital.
his hospital, he had a court case in Ijebu-Ode (in Ogun State) and left a
certain doctor in charge. The doctor in charge had to go for Shiloh 2015
(Winners Chapel Church’s convention/crusade), and (that doctor) invited another
doctor who is a friend to stand in for him in the hospital.
“Dr. Vitalis went ahead to explain to us (my mother, my
husband and I) how a nurse had called him to explain the situation at the
hospital and he ordered that my son should be transferred to another hospital,
because he didn’t want my son to pass away in his hospital.
husband and I) how a nurse had called him to explain the situation at the
hospital and he ordered that my son should be transferred to another hospital,
because he didn’t want my son to pass away in his hospital.
He said when he was contacted while away in Ijebu-Ode, he
knew his staff had ‘messed’ up, and it was ‘too late.’ He promised that the
doctor who treated my son would visit to ‘apologise’ for his mistakes. My
husband asked him what the doctor’s name was and he claimed he didn’t know,
that when he came back from Ijebu-Ode and heard the entire story of what
happened, he ‘beat the hell out’ of the doctor and asked him never to come
close to his hospital. He never brought the doctor to apologise,” Shawn’s mother
narrated.
knew his staff had ‘messed’ up, and it was ‘too late.’ He promised that the
doctor who treated my son would visit to ‘apologise’ for his mistakes. My
husband asked him what the doctor’s name was and he claimed he didn’t know,
that when he came back from Ijebu-Ode and heard the entire story of what
happened, he ‘beat the hell out’ of the doctor and asked him never to come
close to his hospital. He never brought the doctor to apologise,” Shawn’s mother
narrated.
When Sunday Punch contacted Dr. Mezie, he denied taking
responsibility for the two-year-old’s death.
responsibility for the two-year-old’s death.
“I have told her that the medical doctor who attended to her
son is not our doctor. He was just on a visit. We are not responsible for the
death of her son. It is not negligence of the hospital. You know some of these
general hospitals give a bad image of private hospitals; maybe they are having
problems with them (private hospitals), I don’t know.
son is not our doctor. He was just on a visit. We are not responsible for the
death of her son. It is not negligence of the hospital. You know some of these
general hospitals give a bad image of private hospitals; maybe they are having
problems with them (private hospitals), I don’t know.
“What happened was that the woman refused blood transfusion
when she was told that her son’s PCV level was 18 – that was what my doctor
told me when I came back. She said she didn’t want blood transfusion.
when she was told that her son’s PCV level was 18 – that was what my doctor
told me when I came back. She said she didn’t want blood transfusion.
“While I was away (in Ijebu-Ode), and was informed that the
baby’s condition was not improving I told my staff to discharge the baby
immediately. The baby did not die in the hospital; the baby died at the general
hospital. Nobody knew what they did in the general hospital with the baby. The
medical doctor who treated the son was a visiting doctor. I was not around and
my doctor was not around.
baby’s condition was not improving I told my staff to discharge the baby
immediately. The baby did not die in the hospital; the baby died at the general
hospital. Nobody knew what they did in the general hospital with the baby. The
medical doctor who treated the son was a visiting doctor. I was not around and
my doctor was not around.
“I didn’t go to apologise for any negligence on the part of
my hospital. I only went there to sympathise with her. Apologise for what? Why
should we apologise? The baby died in the general hospital. How can we
apologise? What are we apologising for? We did not apologise. In the normal
Igbo culture, if someone dies, you go and visit; and he was our patient. We
referred him (to another hospital) and a patient died and we are there to find
out what happened,” De Vitals’ medical director said.
my hospital. I only went there to sympathise with her. Apologise for what? Why
should we apologise? The baby died in the general hospital. How can we
apologise? What are we apologising for? We did not apologise. In the normal
Igbo culture, if someone dies, you go and visit; and he was our patient. We
referred him (to another hospital) and a patient died and we are there to find
out what happened,” De Vitals’ medical director said.
Essien, however, refuted Dr. Mezie’s claim that she did not
allow the hospital to give her son blood transfusion, saying that she is not a
Jehovah’s Witness who will refuse blood transfusion on religious grounds.
allow the hospital to give her son blood transfusion, saying that she is not a
Jehovah’s Witness who will refuse blood transfusion on religious grounds.
“The doctor that attended to my son mentioned once that my
son might need blood transfusion and never again in the 16 hours I spent in
that hospital was the issue of my baby needing blood mentioned. Never! I have
had two cesarean sections. In both major operations, two pints of blood were
demanded by the hospital I used; my husband provided the blood, which I didn’t
use at the end of the day.
son might need blood transfusion and never again in the 16 hours I spent in
that hospital was the issue of my baby needing blood mentioned. Never! I have
had two cesarean sections. In both major operations, two pints of blood were
demanded by the hospital I used; my husband provided the blood, which I didn’t
use at the end of the day.
“I am knowledgeable about these things and if I can get
blood for myself why would I refuse blood for my son? Why didn’t they refer me
to another clinic immediately since they claimed I refused that my son should
be transfused? Why did they keep us there for a whole 16 hours and kept pumping
his tiny body with IV fluids?” she said.
blood for myself why would I refuse blood for my son? Why didn’t they refer me
to another clinic immediately since they claimed I refused that my son should
be transfused? Why did they keep us there for a whole 16 hours and kept pumping
his tiny body with IV fluids?” she said.
Dr. Mezie also denied any attempt to shield the identity of
the doctor who treated Shawn.
the doctor who treated Shawn.
“I am not hiding the identity of the medical doctor. I will
give you the number of my doctor who brought him,” he promised.
give you the number of my doctor who brought him,” he promised.
He had not done so when this report was filed. Repeated
phone calls and text messages to the medical director did not yield any fruit.
phone calls and text messages to the medical director did not yield any fruit.
The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has however
expressed its interest in the case.
expressed its interest in the case.
Essien said she was determined to get justice for her son.
“I am going to petition the Nigeria Police Force. This man
(Dr. Mezie) and his hospital must be investigated. I will like the medical
association to please investigate this man and his hospital, to prevent more
lives being lost either to carelessness or negligence and to avoid a situation
whereby any human being will pass through the emotional pain and trauma I am
currently going through due to the death of my only son,” she said.
(Dr. Mezie) and his hospital must be investigated. I will like the medical
association to please investigate this man and his hospital, to prevent more
lives being lost either to carelessness or negligence and to avoid a situation
whereby any human being will pass through the emotional pain and trauma I am
currently going through due to the death of my only son,” she said.
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