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Mr. & Mrs. Ibrahim

When ultrasound scan revealed that Mrs. Fatimah Ibrahim, a secondary teacherat Nurul Bayan Int‘I Academy in Zone 5 area of the Federal CapitalTerritory, Abuja, was carrying twins, her joy knew no bound.

Although she already had some children, Ibrahim felt giving birth to twins wouldbe a unique experience that would bring additional joy to the family.But on July 20, when her pregnancy was six months, Ibrahim was rushedto Maitama General Hospital as a result of bleeding from her genitalorgans.

PUNCH METRO gathered that the bleeding was due to an auto accident she had a week earlier. Based on medical advice,she was admitted to the hospital. The doctors said she should be underclose monitoring because the tissues covering and protecting the babieshad ruptured.

By divine providence, she gave birth to a set of premature twins — two boys at about 2am on Saturday, August 20.This was the beginning of the traumatic experience that has thrownIbrahim, a mother of four, into endless sorrow.

She was informed by the doctors that the hospital did not have incubators tokeep the babies. So, the babies were referred to either Garki,Asokoro/Wuse or Gwagwalada hospitals by one Dr. Anyanor at the femaleward. But none of these hospitals, except Garki Hospital in Area 3, hadeither incubators with oxygen or space to accommodate the babies.

At Garki Hospital, the relief of finding a hospital with incubators wasshort-lived when the hospital allegedly demanded N100,000 before thebabies could be admitted. Ibrahim, who said the money could not beraised immediately, added that the demand put the family in a dilemma.

Determined to ensure that the babies survived, Ibrahim said her quest took her todifferent hospitals in Abuja Municipal Area but ironically, none of thehospitals visited had incubator. She said at Nisa Premier Hospital,Kado, Abuja, there was one incubator. However, she said the doctorsthere refused to admit the babies on the ground that they were notresponsible for their delivery and admitting them could put otherbabies delivered at Nisa Premier Hospital at risk.

She told our correspondent that by the time the babies were taken back toMaitama General Hospital it was already late. The premature twins diedof severe cold at 4.00 am. Their remains were later buried at GwarinpaEstate cemetery at about 7:00 am on August 21.

In a petition to some human rights groups, the Nigerian Medical Associationand the Maitama General Hospital, Ibrahim‘s lawyer, Mr. Yusuf Tijani,from Festus Keyamo Chambers, said the woman’s case was pathetic because“the death could have been averted but for the callousness, cruelty,bestial act and insensitivity of the entire management of Maitama andGarki hospitals and this capitalist state called Nigeria.”

He added, “When Mrs. Fatimah (Ibrahim) and her twins were rushed to GarkiHospital by her husband and elder brother at about 2.30am they were alltreated with scorn, contempt and disdain. The ladies and the lad at thereception insisted that the sum of N100, 000 must be deposited beforecommencement of treatment.”

Tijani said Ibrahim‘s elder brother, Mr. Abubakar Yusuf, a Level 12 officer with National DefenceCollege, Abuja, volunteered to deposit his car and also promised toproduce the said sum at dawn and later reclaim his car.

The lawyer alleged that the pleas and the pledge were turned down by the hospital‘s management.

Tijani explained, “The ethics of medical profession expects a medicalpractitioner to put above every other thing, including financialbenefits, the lives of his patient. The action of Garki Hospital fellfar below their duties as medical practitioners and runs fowl of theethics of their profession. The medical practitioner swore to an oathupon graduation from the medical college and that oath is called theHippocratic Oath of doctors.

“The action of the management of Garki Hospital is a gross criminal negligence contrary toSection 196 of the Criminal Code Law and also offends Section 235 ofthe Penal Code Law. Culprits are liable to punishment with imprisonmentfor a term, which may extend to 14 years with fine or with both. Thetwins also have a right to live by virtue of the 1999 Constitution andthose lives have been deprived unjustly.

“In view of the foregoing, we shall proceed forthwith to court because we have agood cause of action. We have equally petitioned the Nigerian MedicalAssociation, Abuja Chapter, and also lodged a formal complaint at GarkiPolice Station Abuja.”

But when contacted on the matter, the Clinical Director of Garki Hospital, Dr. Abdulai Ahmed, told ourcorrespondent that Tijani was economical with the truth, saying thehospital did not charge N100,000 for babies, but only asked for N1,500as registration fee.

Ahmed said, “He pretended to be a relative of the woman. When he told me that they were refused attentionbecause they could not deposit N100,000. I got annoyed because that isnot correct. We don‘t take N100,000 to admit children. We stepped intothe matter to know who was on duty through the matron. They all gavethe same account and said when the woman came, the family were told toget a card. But one other man, who was with them, said they had no kobowith them. The story is not straight forward. Now, if you cannot getour card, which is about N1,500 how can you get our services? That wasall that happened.

“We have a documentary evidence of all that goes on in our hospital here and if the worse happens, we willbring it out to play. I even sympathised with them and even promised tocome and see the bereaved woman in about two weeks‘ time. I gave him mycard, which he has been giving people, including you, to harass me. Hewrote a letter from Keyamo Chambers and gave us eight hours ultimatumto release the names of those nurses on duty. I believe that is highlypreposterous on his part. I don‘t think that is how legal practiceshould be and he has not come back ever since.

“All he does is to look for a way of scandalising our names. But that is a verydangerous game for him; it is blackmail. He is on a mission and we arewatching how he will do it.”

But when contacted, the Spokesperson of the FCT Police Command, Mr. Jimoh Moshood, said hewould get back to our correspondent as soon as the crime officer, whowas mandated to ascertain whether the matter was reported as claimed bythe lawyer, gave him a feedback.

As at the time of going to the press, PUNCH METRO was yet to hear from the police.