Family slams N1billion suit against Enugu hospital over alleged negligence

About seventeen months after their mother died while being treated at the hospital, the children of late Mrs. Catherine Nwagu have slammed a billion Naira suit against the Niger Foundation Hospital, Enugu for alleged negligence that led to the death of the woman.

Nwagu, 71, reportedly died at the hospital on October 19, 2015, about 11 days after she was brought to the facility for a stroke related issue. In a suit filed at the High Court, Enugu by their Counsel, Okey Okoh, the family also sought the revocation of the operational license of the hospital and medical practicing licenses of the Medical Director, Joe Machiberena and two other medical doctors for alleged “gross negligence, professional malfeasance and unethical conduct”.

They also sought the dismissal of one of the nurses in the hospital for alleged “negligence and unethical conduct unworthy of a nursing profession”.
They had alleged in their statement of claim that their mother was admitted at the Niger Foundation hospital, on the advice of the doctors when she came for her routine medical examination at the place.

They claimed that when they visited their mother on October 13 to discover that the “bed she was laid in had no bed rails to prevent her from falling on the floor”, adding that they brought this to the notice of the hospital officials, who assured that “since the patient was not moving that there was no need for bed rails”.

The statement added that they noticed that the bed which the deceased was laid in was hard foam instead of air foam that could prevent sores, stressing that they discovered that her “right leg was gangrenous and the left developed vesicles which were caused by the hard foam”

These, they also claimed were brought to the attention of the hospital, who said they had only three air foams, prompting the children to volunteer to buy an extra one for their late mother.

They stated that on October 18, they had visited their mother to discover a large swelling on her forehead and bruise on her lips and nose and inquired of their cousin taking care of her, who informed them that their mother fell from the bed.