By Sola Ogundipe, Chioma Obinna, Monsuru Olowoopejo, Esther Onyegbula & Gabriel Olawale

THE controversy surrounding the death of the late Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Hestianna Thomas at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, may soon be put to rest as autopsy has been carried out on the body of the deceased. Already, the Lagos State Government has asked the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, to release the autopsy report, even as the Lagos State Department of Domestic Violence restated its resolve to pursue the case to its logical conclusion. While some said she was a victim of domestic violence, others said she commited suicide.

The late Consultant Paediatrician, Dr. Hestianna Thomas

Vanguard gathered that the autopsy had been concluded but the committee constituted by the NMA to unravel the cause of the death was yet to release its findings. Disclosing the situation to Vanguard in an interview, Coordinator of the Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Team, DSVRT, Mrs. Titilola Vivour-Adeniyi, said: “We appreciate NMA’s effort to unravel the cause of the death, but we want the report to be released urgently.

We want the committee to forward the report to the Directorate of Public Prosecution, DPP, Lagos State Ministry of Justice. And if the report states that she died due to domestic violence, the state government will not hesitate to act.”

Protection of her rights

Further, Vivour-Adeniyi stated: “Although the deceased was a staff of Federal Government, but since she resided in Lagos, the state government will ensure that her rights are protected.” Details regarding the autopsy were scanty at press time, but sources close to the family and the NMA, Lagos State Branch, confirmed the result was still being awaited and may be released this week.

It would be recalled that conflicting reports making the rounds allege on one hand that the doctor died of injuries sustained as a result of domestic violence, while other reports said her death was one of suicide.

In a related development, a colleague of the deceased who is a surgeon in LUTH said the deceased had a history of depression. The source, who pleaded anonymity, noted: “The victim came in a pool of blood with a nylon bag over her head, face smashed in, chest and arms fractured. Husband told us she had a history of depression and suicidal attempts. I heard that she jumped off the second floor. I spoke with her unit members, it seems it’s confirmed that it’s a suicide, the family reached out in support to the husband and confirmed the previous history of depression and won’t be taking anything up.”

Also speaking, the husband of the deceased, Dr. Femi Thomas, when contacted, declined to grant an interview. He, however, said that the death is a coroner case. “Let us wait for the coroner report,” he urged. In his reaction, Chief Medical Director, LUTH, Prof. Chris Bode, told our reporters to expect the institution’s response in due course. “Please await a press statement about the case from LUTH,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Branch of NMA has condemned media reports linking the death of the deceased to the husband. The NMA through its Public Relations Officer, Dr Ibrahim Ogunbi, wondered why some journalists should carry stories of such sensitive matters without proper investigations.

Properinvestigations

Ogunbi in a telephone interview lamented: “The rumours are too much but we do not believe them. We are investigating the cause of the death to ascertain if the allegation by some people that the husband killed the wife was true or not. We are neutral until the autopsy report is made.” He noted that the reason they could not believe the allegation levelled against the husband was their findings during the association’s visit to the home of the deceased.

Ogunbi said “When we visited the home of the decease on Friday, we saw her mother who also lives in the house. And during our interaction with her, she said that the report making the rounds that her in-law killed the daughter worries her; it has further inflicted pains on her, and that those making such allegations are adding to her pains.

“NMA is investigating the rumours surrounding her death. We cannot understand why journalists could go to press without proper investigations. Some of us visited the home of the disease yesterday (Friday). We discovered that the mother of the deceased was around and she is not happy with the reports. We in the NMA are not happy with what is reported in the social media and the national dailies. People should be careful with what they are reporting.”

He further disclosed that the deceased’s husband with his two children are in good health, adding, ”We are still expecting the result of the autopsy and we have told our members not to give information to the media until the result of the autopsy is out.” Asked which hospital is conducting the autopsy, he said, “Sorry I cannot disclose that to you now. Wait until the autopsy is out.”

Chairman of NMA, Lagos, Dr. Tope Ojo, also in an interview said: “This is a sensitive issue. We are aware of the information being circulated as the cause of her death. But I can say that they are just rumours. We are working with all stakeholders including the Nigerian Police on this issue to investigate the cause of her death.”

Hardworkingconsultant

In a statement, the Chairman, Medical and Dental Consultants Association of Nigeria, LUTH branch, Dr. Emeka Ogbolu, said the incident was a sad event. He described the deceased as a very hardworking consultant, who seemed indefatigable. Ogbolu who said he refrained from posting anything noted that it would have been premature to do so.

He said,“I was appalled at how some people jumped to conclusions that it was homicide without investigating or asking questions. I also had to refrain because it is really painful being that I saw her on Tuesday and therefore it came as a shock. I just came from their home where I went to pay a condolence visit and what I saw was a pained and angry mother. Her mother, after I introduced myself, pleaded that we do not abandon her son-in-law who is a son to her. While weeping she asked why someone will be so insensitive and wicked to her as a mother and conclude that her son-in-law killed her daughter.

“She cursed those that started it because she said they have only added to her pain which is already unbearable. She said she is a principal officer in a university and has some background in psychology and she knows the tell tale signs of domestic violence. She visits often and would not have hesitated to forcefully drag her daughter out of the marriage had that been the case.

“She would have known from her interaction with their children. She said those who started this have stung her where it hurts because she does not joke with her children. She said she broke down when she saw the newspaper that carried the story. I saw a mother pained. I think it was genuine. I promised her I would pass on her message as much as I can and that is all I have done.”

The late consultant was a member, Class of 96, UDOSA Benin Chapter and member of the British Association of Paediatric surgeons. She graduated with a bachelor of medicine and surgery (MBBS) from the College of Medicine, University of Benin, Nigeria in 2003. Thereafter, she obtained a post graduate training including specialist training in paediatric surgery at the UBTH and LUTH, and a tertiary hospital in Accra, Ghana.

She obtained the Fellowship of the West Africa College of Surgeons (paediatrics) by examination in 2013. Her professional interest included further training in hypospadiology and minimal access surgery. Her other clinical and research interests included nutrition of surgical patients, trauma and general paediatric surgery.