After five barren years of marriage, 29-years old Mrs. Veronica Isaac and her husband began a search for the fruit of the womb but got their pitiable situation compounded by a surgeon.
Today, Veronica who walked into NIQUAD Clinics, located on a hilly top at Orozo, in the Abuja Municipality with both her ovarian and fallopian tubes intact, has lost all after passing through the knife of a doctor.
That is not all. Long after the surgery, she has not been able to defecate as her small intestine has been negligently cut and tied up in several places, subjecting her to excruciating pains and discomfort. Before the said operation was carried out on her, the scan result from Everyday Scan Services Limited, Karu, dated July 31, 2017, showed that both her left and right ovaries were intact including the fallopian tube.
For the avoidance of doubts, the full result of the scan reads:
“The left ovary showed a thick-walled cystic structure containing some web-like strand. It measured 5.3cm x4.9cm. The right ovary is normal.
“The uterus is normal in size and anteverted. The cavity is empty, normal endometrial thickness. No fibroid.
“Both adnexae are free, no mass seen. No fluid collection in the pouch of Douglas.
“The bladder is uniformly filled and showed normal outline. No stones or mass seen.
“Left Mucinous Ovarian Cyst. Suggest: HSG for further evaluation.”
A petition to the Dental and Medical Council of Nigeria by the husband of the woman claimed that after the surgery at the private clinic, those vital conceptual organs have all disappeared.
Their claim is supported by a medical report released on September 15, 2017, by the Maitama District Hospital, Abuja, where she has been taken for further medical attention.
The report with reference no FCTA/HHSS/HMB/MDH/GEN and signed by DR. K. Osinsanya, a Senior Consultant Surgeon said “her abdomen was distended with a midline scar (infraumbilica) extending to the level of the umbilicus.”
The full report reads:
“The above named patient was seen by our unit on August 13, 2017 on account of colicky abdominal pain and distension and inability to pass flatus/feaces following surgery in a private hospital. She was said to have had an Ovarian cystectomy and was subsequently been managed as a case of subacute intestinal obstruction from adhesions.
“On examination, she was ill looking, in pains, aferbile, anicteric, dehydrated abdomen was distended with a midline scar (infraumbilical) extending to the level of the umbilicus with sutures intact.
“There was generalised tenderness with rebound bowel sounds were absent. Rectal examination showed scanty stool in the rectum. No mass was felt.
“A diagnosis of Acute intestinal obstruction post exploratory laparotomy was made. Plain abdominal X-ray showed multiple air fluid levels with dilation of bowels loops.
Patient was resuscitated and worked up for exploratomy. “Findings at surgery were;
*Pneumoperitoneum
* 4 L of facal peritoneal fluid
* Rent in the terminal ileum approximately 10cm from the ileo-caecal junction with involvement of the mesentery.
* multiple fibrinous adhesions involving loops of small bowel.
* Uterus was visualised both Ovarian and Fallopian tubes not seen.
“Patient had an ileal resection and anastomosis done. A post laparotomy was made.
“Patient was re-explored two weeks later on account of an enterocutaneous fistula findings at surgery were a frozen pelvis and leakage of intestinal content from small bowel. Patient had ileostomy done.
“Patient is presently 16th day post re-exploration. She has commenced normal diet and ileostomy is functioning adequately.”
Now, the question on the lips of her distraught husband, Aondovihi Isaac and other family members to NIQUAD Clinics is the whereabouts of her ovaries and fallopian tubes.
This is a heart rending story of Mr. Isaac and his wife, Victoria, all residents of Karshi Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
“We have been married since 2012 till this moment, but have been without an issue (child),” the distraught husband told Daily Sun.
Led by his lawyer, Hameed Jimoh, Mr. Isaac, narrated the ordeals of his wife in a 73-paragraphs affidavit he deposed to before the Commissioner of oaths, FCT High Court, Abuja, pursuant to the requirements by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN).
He narrated how a Chief Medical Director (CMD) of a private hospital, Dr. Empson Nwarigon, whom they approached to find solution on the issue of non- conception, has put the life of his wife in some unbearable health conditions.
He wrote “The Doctor carried out surgery on my wife and in the process negligently cut my wife’s small intestine organ and tied it with ropes or threads in several places and since then, she can no longer defecate.”
The petition added: “That around the end of July, 2017, in the quest for procuring solution to my wife non-conception, we visited a medical clinic known as ‘NIQUAD Clinic, located at Kajaah Road, Orozo, FCT, Abuja.
“We met the Chief Medical Doctor/Director of the hospital, Dr.. Nwarigon. The CMD asked me to take my wife for scanning for diagnosis at Everyday Scan Services Limited, which I did on July 31, 2017.
“That the scan result discovered that my wife has “Left Mucinous Ovarian Cyst” and it suggested ‘HSG for further evaluation’, but that the CMD asked my wife to undergo surgery in order to remove the ‘Left Mucinous Ovarian Cyst.
“That my wife and I were never informed by the CMD or signed any document about the implications of the surgery he was to carry out on her.”
He further narrated how the surgery was carried out on his wife on August 7, 2017, after paying the sun of N45, 000.
However, the now embattled husband lamented that after the surgery was carried out, “my wife could not defecate, even while on admission at the clinic and after she was discharged two days after the surgery.”
He stated how Dr. Nwarigon asked him to bring his wife to the clinic after complaining about the deteriorating health condition.
“After taking my wife back to the clinic, the CMD gave me some drugs for my wife and asked me to continue to give her orange and banana.
“Some of the drugs I was given were Mako (R) Liquid Paraffin 200ml BP, BN32K7, Manufactured 4-16. Expd3-20. NAFDAC Rg No. 04-3288; Searchets of Nemel Cipro (R) Cipro Floxacin 500mg. NAFDAC no. B4-1405. Batch no. 01E.Mfg.05-2017.Exp.Date: 04-2022; tablet Dana-G; tablet Metroma x ; tablet Archy-P/500.
“However, on the evening of that Friday, August 11, 2017, immediately I gave my wife one of the prescribed drugs “Moko (R) Liquid Paraffin 200ml BP, BN32K7, Manufactured 4-16. Expd3-20. NAFDAC Rg No. 04-3288, at home, she started breathing heavily and her body became weaker as she started gasping for breadth
“Then, I quickly called the CMD on his mobile phone and he told me to bring her to the clinic. I immediately took my wife to the clinic where she was given some injections and drips by the medical/ health staff of the CMD till the next day.
“Even after that, she still could not defecate, but I paid extra N3, 000.00 as charges for the treatment.
“When Dr. Warigon resumed work the next day, he asked me to take my wife for another scan and that she should continue taking her drugs.
“On Saturday, August 12, 2017, the CMD, however, had a change of mind and informed me that there was no need taking my wife for the scan, but that she should continue with her drugs and if the situation did not improve, he will refer us to another hospital.
“On Sunday, August 13, 2107, I took my wife to the clinic to collect a referral letter from the CMD, since her condition did not improve. We waited in vain for the CMD, as he did not show up at the clinic, but later got the referral letter from a medical staff of the clinic.
“All efforts to communicate with the CMD failed as he refused to pick my calls.
The referral letter with reference no: NCO/12/18, dated August 12, 2017 and addressed to the Consultant Surgeon, Asokoro General Hospital, Wuse General Hospital and Maitama General Hospitals, meaning that the patient can go to any of the mentioned Hospitals.
“I took my wife immediately to Asokoro General Hospital, but I was further referred to Maitama General Hospital because there was no bed space in Asokoro General Hospital.
“At the Maitama hospital, she was admitted on emergency. After an x-ray scan was carried out on her, I was informed by the hospital that a surgery will be conducted on my wife in order to urgently safe her life.
“During the surgery, I was invited into the theatre room to witness the errors committed on my wife by the surgery carried out on her by Dr. Nwarigon of NIQUAD Clinic.
“I was shocked to see by myself, apart from the doctor’s confirmation, that my wife’s small intestine organ, which I was shown directly in my wife’s stomach, has been negligently severed by the NIQUAD Clinic’s Chief Medical Doctor and was tied in different places with threads, which the doctors had to loosen in order to carry out a successful surgery.”
The troubled husband expressed disappointment with the conduct of the CMD of NIQUAD Clinic “for the harm he has caused my wife and the pains, financial burden and sorrows he has caused to my wife and the entire family.
“The most surprising thing is that the CMD never told me or my wife that he mistakenly or negligently cut my wife’s small intestine organ and tied it up with threads during the surgery. He only gave me a referral letter to another hospital.”
Abuja Metro made several visits to NIQUAD Clinic to speak with the the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Nwarigon on the issue.
However, during the last visit, our reporter was able to speak to a medical staff of the clinic, who claimed to be a General Practice (GP) Doctor with the clinic.
The Medical personnel, however, said he did not want his name mentioned as he was not officially asked to speak on the matter by the CMD.
He said although he was not in the theatre when the surgery was carried out on Mrs. Veronica Isaac, he was fully aware of the case.
He, however, vouched for the professional competence of the Chief Medical Director, saying it was difficult for a doctor who have practised for about 30 years and reached a position of a Chief Medical Director to have conducted himself in that manner.
He was said to be indisposed for the past two weeks. The heartrending story is still unfolding. How it will end depends on the outcome of the probe on the matter by the Dental and Medical Council of Nigeria. (SunNewsOnline)
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