Groups demand N50m compensation from LUTH over patient’s death
(Nigeria) Two women advocacy groups on Thursday urged the
Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, to pay N50 million compensation to
the family of a deceased patient, Mrs Folake Oduyoye.
The groups, Women Advocates Research and Documentation
Centre, WARDC and Women Arise for Change Initiative made the plea during a walk
to campaign against maternal death in Nigeria.
During the walk, women displayed placards with various
inscriptions to express their grievances about alleged maltreatment of the late
Oduyoye by LUTH.
Some of the placards read: ``It is Illegal to Detain Women
in Hospitals’’, ``No Woman Should Die at Childbirth’’, ``Save Our Women from
Unnecessary Death’’, ``No Women, No Nation”.
The walk was part of the burial activities for the late
Oduyoye, who died as a result of alleged maternal complications at the
hospital.
WARDC had on December 19 petitioned the management of LUTH
over Oduyoye’s death while she was allegedly detained in the hospital due to
her family’s inability to settle her medical bills.
The deceased’s husband, Mr Adeyemi Oduyoye, a printer, had
claimed that the hospital detained and abandoned his wife without adequate
medical care for 43 days.
During the walk, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, the WARDC
Executive Director, described the woman’s death as one of the many unnecessary
and preventable deaths that occurred in the country.
Akiyode-Afolabi said that 144 Nigerian women died daily as a
result of maternal complications.
``It is very unfortunate that Folake died in LUTH after she
was detained for 43 days because she could not pay her hospital bills of about
N1.5 million. This is contrary to Sections 32 and 35 of the Nigerian
Constitution. (Section 32 is about power to make regulations while Section 35
is on right to personal liberty).
``Folake died at the age of 35 years, leaving behind four
children. Her death is a waste to the nation. Over 100 women are being detained
in LUTH and some other hospitals across the country, because they cannot pay
their hospital bills. Today, we are burying Folake and we are urging LUTH
management to compensate the family with the sum of N50 million. We are also
saying `NO’ to maternal death in Nigeria,`` she said.
Also, Dr Joe Okei-Odumakin, the President, Women Arise
Initiative, urged the three-tiers of government to give priority attention to
the health of women and children.
According to her, Nigeria ranks second in the list of
countries with high rate of maternal mortality.
``Our walk today is to prove that we are tired of losing our
women to maternal death and hospital negligence. In 2013, Nigeria recorded 239,
000 maternal deaths,’’ she said.
She urged review of the National Health Insurance Scheme to
ensure that it would care better for the health of Nigerian women.
``We are also saying that all those women that are being
detained in LUTH because they cannot pay their hospital bills should be
released,`` she said.
In his remarks, Mr Malachy Ugwummadu, a Lagos-based lawyer
and rights activist, said that detention of women who could not afford the cost
of their treatment after child birth should be abolished.
Ugwummadu urged a thorough investigation into the death of
Mrs Oduyoye in the interest of justice.
The management of LUTH, Idi-Araba, had earlier described as
unfounded, the allegation that the woman died due the hospital’s negligence.
Prof. Chris Bode, the Acting Chief Medical Director of LUTH,
said that the woman was admitted unconscious as an emergency case on Sept. 17,
following complications from a caesarian operation performed in a private
hospital.
He said that numerous surgeries, specialised tests,
interventions, dialysis, drugs and other consumables committed in treating the
deceased amounted to N1.5 million.
According to him, the family of the woman paid only N300, 000
and requested for a waiver of N1.2 million.
``However, the condition of Oduyoye suddenly became poor and
she died of pulmonic complications on December 13. A post-mortem examination is
to be performed to ascertain cause of the death,” he said.
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