Man accuses hospital of negligence over wife, son’s death in Lagos

A man, Prince Ovwiomodiowho, who is a registered nurse anaesthetist, has accused a private hospital in Lagos State, R Jolad Hospital, Agege, of mismanagement of his wife, Loveth’s pregnancy, leading to her death alongside their unborn baby.

Ovwiomodiowho told Punch, that his late wife started ante-natal at the hospital in 2023 but reportedly bled to death on March 8, 2024, shortly after undergoing a caesarean section.

The aggrieved man insisted that the lack of a competent surgical team and equipment were factors that contributed to the untimely death of his wife and baby.

He told the publication that long hours of induction led to the rupture of his late wife’s uterus, causing heavy bleeding.

Recounting the traumatic events that unfolded during his wife’s stay at the private hospital, Ovwiomodiowho said, “I have been in despair, unimaginable trauma, prolonged pain and unending sorrow since March 8, 2024, following the gruesome murder of my precious wife Loveth and innocent son, Jason.

“My wife had no surgical and medical history; she was their patient from the start of the pregnancy. All her labs, vitals and scans were normal, and her packed cell volume before delivery was 39 per cent.

“The doctor in charge, Marcus, prescribed the induction from midnight and said there was no clear indication for a C/Section. I objected to the midnight induction but he insisted it was the hospital protocol.

“Marcus commenced induction with Misoprostol twice under the watch of his junior doctors and midwife. They claimed Misoprostol induction failed and my wife was not contracting and also claimed her cervix was ripped for another type of induction with oxytocin, which they commenced.

“After 10 hours of aggressive prolonged induction with cervical dilatation only reaching 6cm, her uterus was hyperstimulated until it busted (She had ruptured uterus) and started active silent bleeding.”

Ovwiomodiowho said the hospital claimed not to be aware that his wife was bleeding until she collapsed, started gasping for air, started foaming from the mouth and later, became unconscious.

He further said, “My wife was bleeding and the hospital claimed they were not aware until she collapsed and started gasping for air with extremely low blood pressure and severely compromised vital signs.

“She needed active resuscitation, immediate caesarian section and exploratory laparotomy but once again, the hospital had no surgeon, no anaesthetist, and no paediatrician (No surgical team) in place for the surgery.

“Major surgical and resuscitation equipment was not available. There was no reliable oxygen system, no laryngoscope and no fictional ventilator. She was left to breathe by herself via an endotracheal tube during surgery.”

“There was no electricity throughout the surgery. At some points, they were using phone torchlight for surgery. Due to the unimaginable and gross incompetence of the surgical team, haemostasis could not be secured; she was bleeding from multiple bleeders. My wife and son eventually bled to death, and the theatre floor was a river of blood despite various colloids that were infused. Imagine leaving with the horror of the scene.

“The death certificate of my wife says she suffered a ruptured uterus with massive uterine haemorrhage.”

He also claimed that efforts to get his late wife’s uterus, which was removed during the surgery were not successful.

“My wife’s uterus (womb) was removed during surgery and the hospital has refused to give me the specimen despite multiple requests. I don’t know if they are planning to sell it or if they are deliberately trying to make the autopsy inconclusive.

“The hospital has also refused to give me the placenta. It is only the corpse of my wife and son that was handed over.

“I have reported the incident to the Health Facilities Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, Commissioner of Health and Permanent Secretary in Lagos, and I am waiting for their responses,” he said.

While arguing that the death of his wife and son was avoidable and unnecessary, the aggrieved nurse said it was “a deliberate act of reckless manslaughter.”

He lamented, “How can an obstetrician and gynaecologist be in another facility and still hell-bent on inducing my wife under the watch of his staff from 12 am till 10 am until her uterus gave way? It ruptured without any O&G consultant available to review it.

“The consultant provoked massive torrential bleeding and both he and his team claimed they had no clue as to why my wife, who was their patient was bleeding and was racing into hypovolaemic shock.

“Even when she eventually suffered a total cardiovascular collapse in labour, became unconscious and needed intensive care, immediate Ex lap with an emergency caesarian section, she was denied early surgical intervention until she suffered hypoxic brain injury.

“It took over three hours for the intensivist to start attending to her and over two hours for the O&G consultant to commence surgery, the paediatrician never came.”

He added, “During this unbearable waiting time for the surgeon to show up, I was forced to commence active resuscitation on my wife because the team on the ground was in deep confusion and panic.

“Finally, they arranged a grossly incompetent surgical team that could not secure bleeding despite infusions of colloids and crystalloids, causing traumatic death of both mother and baby.”

The nurse also accused the hospital management of deepening his pain and loss by subjecting him to all manner of inhumane treatment and intimidation.

He lamented, “In my unwavering quest to seek justice just because the hospital has seen I don’t have money, I have been subjected to intimidation and frustrations.”

The grieving father said he is at a loss as to how to reply his four-year-old daughter, who has been asking for her mother.

“She has been asking for her mom and I still don’t know what to tell her,” he said with tears cascading down his face.

When the Punch contacted the management of R Jolad Hospital, they denied alleged negligence and complicity in the death of the woman.

The hospital insisted that everything medically necessary was done to save Ovwiomodiowho’s wife and son.

Speaking in a virtual meeting attended by the hospital’s Medical Director Abiola Fashina; Chief Operating Officer, Mr Soji Osunsedo, and the Marketing and Brand communications manager, Ifeoluwapo Ilesanmi on April 26, 2024, the Managing Director, Dr Funsho Oladipo said that standard protocols and procedures required for care during labour were provided.

While admitting that the wife lost a lot of blood during delivery, he blamed Ovwiomodiowho’s religious belief against blood transmission for the unfortunate death, noting that blood was not given to the woman after the surgery.

He explained, “Between you and I, we know that in childbirth, one important thing that can happen and throw everybody into a panic state, but which can still be remedied, is blood loss. And when there’s blood loss, you have to replace it, especially if the loss is much. There’s nothing that replaces blood.

“But we had been given a strict instruction against blood transfusion because Prince and his family belong to the Jehovah’s Witness religious group and they don’t allow blood transmission.

“And this, you know and I know, everybody knows that if so much blood is lost and no replacement, there’s nothing one can do.

“So, the question of not having adequate manpower to take care of what the wife had is not true.

“The hospital is well equipped with personnel and other things; we have consultant gynaecologists and other professionals. It’s very unfortunate that this happened because we have always provided care to the best of our knowledge and best of practice.

“And such a scenario has never happened in the hospital for the period that we’ve been running it.

“The hospital is a source of joy to many homes, taking care of the needs of the people, the poor and the rich.”

When asked if the hospital used torchlight during surgery, Oladipo noted, “I have just told you the main reason why this loss occurred. I mean, it’s just like Panadol would take care of your headache and if you refuse to take Panadol, the headache will still be there. It’s just simple and very unfortunate.”

On the allegations that the hospital did not release the placenta and ruptured uterus, the hospital Managing Director explained, “If the corpse was alleged to have been kept by us, then we agreed that the uterus and the placenta were also with us.

“You see, it was so bad, we had to put the placenta, the uterus, we had to wrap everything neatly together because they did not want to take the corpse that night. They came so many hours after the incident to take the corpse. And everything was wrapped with the placenta, the resected uterus and the corpse, and we gave it to them.”