By Peter Okutu

ABAKALIKI—A couple, Mr & Mrs. Elizabeth Favour Nkwuda and Paulinus Nkwuda, has instituted a N500 million suit at Abakaliki High Court against Mile Four Hospital Abakaliki, for alleged medical negligence, poor assessment and mismanagement of their pregnancy, which led to the death of their baby in the womb.

Vanguard learned that the baby allegedly died during an unauthorized surgical operation performed on the lady by the medical team of the hospital.

Others joined in the suit are the Hospital Administrator, Rev.Sister Celine Anikwem, Dr. Azubuike and Dr. Osuagwu as 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants respectively.

The 3rd and 4th defendants were the doctors who handled the lady’s situation at the labour room.

Mr. Nkwuda, in a five-page witness statement on oath through his counsel, Mr  Nwugo Nwugo, alleged that neither him nor his wife gave consent either by oral or in signature to the surgical operation which took the life of their baby boy.

He said even after the surgical operation on his wife,neither the doctor who performed it nor the nurses or anybody in the team deemed it necessary to inform him or his wife how and why the baby boy died.

He added that despite the condition of his wife, she was forced out of her bed and the bed was assigned to another person by the hospital management.

Mr. Nkwuda further said that notwithstanding the medical negligence,the   management also forced him to pay N20,950 for drugs and N40,000 for caesarian section.

He contended that negligence, mismanagement  and poor assessment of his wife’s pregnancy by the 3rd and 4th defendants and their team which occasioned the death of their baby were as a result of incompetence and quackery.

Mr Nkwuda said that by reason of flagrant medical negligence, ill treatment to him and his wife, they had suffered shock, physical, mental and psychology trauma and therefore demanded five hundred million naira in compensation from the defendants.

The case came up for mention on Tuesday at Abakaliki High Court Five and all the defendants have filed their motions for appearance.

The presiding judge,Justice Ogwu after hearing from both counsels adjourned the matter till  July 18, 2016 for pre-trial