In furtherance of his desire to get to the root cause of the death of his expectant wife and child at the Madina (Kekle) Polyclinic, Mr Bernard Otu, the aggrieved widower, has petitioned the Minister of Health.
He is asking for thorough investigations into the circumstances surrounding the death of his 38-year-old wife and unborn baby through childbirth at the facility.
Mr Otu is also asking for, among other things, an inquiry into what he described as professional negligence as well as the lack of customer care and fellow feeling which resulted in the irreplaceable loss of two lives.
The three-page petition, dated January 4, 2016 and addressed to the Health Minister has since been served with copies to other supervisory/regulatory institutions such as the Ghana Health Service (GHS), Nursing and Midwifery Council (NWC), Medical and Dental Council (MDC), and the Ghana Medical Association (GMA). Mr Otu indicated that another of his motivation in pursuing the case was the need for a restructuring of the systems and a proper supervision to save more lives in our quest as a nation to reduce the incidence of maternal, perinatal and infant mortality.
Background
Cynthia Nuworsu, a trader and a mother of four, underwent an induction of labour at the Polyclinic on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 and died in the process the following day, still undelivered.
According to the grieving husband, his demands to have access to the wife and later for a referral to a hospital in the course of the prolonged labour were all ignored until his wife eventually passed away.
The corpse was later transferred to the Police hospital and subsequently buried at Dzodze in the Volta Region together with the remains of the foetus.
Post mortem
A post mortem report from the Police Hospital, dated June 24, 2015, stamped and signed by one Dr. L. Edusei indicated that Cynthia died of “breeched presentation” explained by medical experts as a childbirth in which the baby exits the pelvis with the buttocks, feet or any other part of the body as opposed to the normal head-first presentation.
Per the report, she was also found to have suffered a “uterine rupture”, also explained as tear or explosion of the uterus. These followed an induced labour and nearly 24 hours of labour characterised by profuse bleeding.
Invitation by national security
Reliable information indicates that the National Security has invited the officers of the Madina Police Station where the case was first reported.
The Chief of Madina, Serikie Baba Amadu Seidu, who at a point was commissioned by the officers of the Polyclinic to arbitrate the case between them and the widower has also been invited.
Medical and Dental Council invite
A meeting was held in Accra last Tuesday between officials of the Medical and Dental Council and the widower, at the instance of the former.
According to Mr Otu, he has been directed by the Registrar of the Council, Dr Eli Atikpui, to submit an official complaint, attached with what the registrar described as a statutory declaration to enable the council take the necessary actions.
He is yet to submit the complaints as requested.
Nana Aba Anamoah supports
In a related development, Nana Aba Anamoah, a broadcast journalist with GHOne Television (and formerly of TV3) has donated an amount of GH¢1,000.00 to support the husband and children of the deceased.
Presenting the cash to the widower in the studios of Starr FM last Tuesday shortly after their interview session on the Morning Starr, Nana Aba, who was sitting in for Nii Ardey Clegg, the regular host, said “This is my personal contribution to keep you and your children going in this moment of grief. I hope other individuals and institutions will do same to help soothe your sorrow.”
Mr Otu, who received the cash with mixed feeling, said, “This gesture is unexpected; it means so much to me and I know God will reward you for this gesture.”
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