Drama Looms As Man Drags Delta Hospital, Others To Court Over Wife’s Death

The MD of Eku Baptist/General Hospital in Delta State, along with a team of doctors and the state government, among others, are facing legal action in Delta State High Court.

They are accused of professional negligence that is alleged to have resulted in the tragic death of Mrs. Anesther Egede, a 33-year-old woman.

In the writ of summons obtained by Metro PUNCH on Sunday in Asaba, in a suit no HCI/44/2023 between Mr. Festus Godson Egede as claimant and Eku Baptist/General Hospital, Delta state government, MD, Eku Baptist/General Hospital, Dr Totibo among others as defendants

The deceased’s husband, Godson Egede said that Dr. Ebom Totibo allegedly left cotton wool in his wife’s abdomen after surgery which led to her death.

He said, “My wife Mrs. Egede Anesther was having pain in her abdomen and we went to Catholic Hospital Obiaruku, where she was admitted and a scan of her abdomen was duly recommended by the Hospital.

“The above hospital recommended a scan and was conducted on her, whereof it was discovered that she had appendicitis.

“They said the appendicitis was not up to 7.6% as discovered and as such not up to the level for her to need the minor appendicitis operation.

“She was discharged from the Catholic Hospital after two days of admission, the medical personnel who attended to her told us that the appendicitis was not ripe for operation and that same should be managed.

“When she got home, the pain persisted, then I took her to Eku Baptist/General Hospital for further examination of the already established appendicitis.

“At the General Hospital, we met a medical doctor by the name of Dr. Ebom Totibo who once again directed that another scan be conducted on her.

“Dr. Totibo also recommended the Center (P. Wave Scan, Delta State) where the scan was conducted, and after Dr. Totibo conducted further physical examination on my wife, he opined that her appendicitis was due and directed that we should return the next day for the surgical operation to remove the appendicitis.

“The following day, we returned to the hospital where the surgical operation was conducted on her for the removal of the appendicitis.

“After the operation, the head of the team Dr. Ebom Totibo told me that my late wife was too fat and as a result of that, her intestines covered appendicitis, and that the appendicitis was not removed”

He further stated that instead, the medical team re-arranged her intestines, explaining the issues as discovered by the team as “attempted appendectomy”.

Mr Egede stated that after the operation his wife was wheeled to the private ward for close observation, noting that instead of improving, she started rapid deterioration, as her abdomen began to swell, and she could not gas or stool for over 14 days.

“One of the medical doctors on duty recommended that an MRI scan be conducted on her to clearly ascertain the position of the surgical operation conducted on her.

“They also recommended an MRI scan which was conducted on her at Lily Hospital Benin City, Edo State, and the result analysed by a plethora of specialists, showed that Dr. Ebom Totibo and his team left a huge cotton wool on my wife’s abdomen after the surgical operation, which has led to her death” he added

He said the family had already petitioned the hospital over negligence of duty, noting that he met with Delta State Hospital Management Board on Thursday, July 20, 2023, over his petition.

When contacted, the Managing Director of Eku Hospital, Dr Mrs Etaghene Harietta said she couldn’t speak on the matter but directed our correspondent to the health ministry.

She said, “I can’t speak on the matter, the questions should be directed to our head in Asaba, who oversees the hospital”

Efforts to reach the State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Onojaeme failed as calls and text messages put across to him were not responded to at the time of filling this report.