Senate probes Chiamaka De-Freitas’ postnatal death in Lagos

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi

The Senate has begun an investigation into the cause of death of Mrs Chiamaka Glory De-Freitas, who reportedly died as a result of postnatal complication at the Medical Art Centre, Lagos.
The decision of the apex legislative chamber to step in and unravel the circumstances leading to the unfortunate incident followed a petition dated July 4, 2017, by the family to the deceased, requesting the chamber to probe the matter.
Senator Benjamin Uwajumogwu (APC, Imo North) who presented the petition to the Senate, told journalists that the Red Chamber would conduct a public hearing on the matter to ascertain what actually led to the woman’s death.
Uwajumogu, who represents the deceased in the apex chamber, said that part of what the legislators would be looking at was whether or not the hospital took prompt and proper action on the Chiamaka before her demise.
In the petition, which was obtained by our correspondent in Abuja, it was alleged that the hospital conducted a second operation on the lady without her husband’s consent and after some days of continuous bleeding, she died.
The lawmaker further said that the Senate would also investigate if the doctors who conducted the surgery on Chiamaka were qualified and if the hospital should be held liable for her death.
The senator said, “I have submitted the petition to the Senate to investigate if the hospital has done the proper thing. The information we have is that this young lady was pregnant and was admitted to Medical Art Centre, a hospital in Lagos. She was said to have attended her ante-natal at the hospital and the lady would have to undergo a caesarian operation which her husband assented to, but after the operation, she continued bleeding.
“Her husband (Alindo De- Freitas) asked for a referral to Redington Hospital to handle the post-operation crisis but they refused and insisted that they would conduct an ‘expository surgery’ which the husband refused.
“The hospital conducted a second operation on this lady without her husband’s consent and after some days of continuous bleeding, she died. The hospital then declared that it was the husband’s fault for not consenting on time.
“The senate would also investigate if the doctors who conducted the surgery were qualified and if the hospital should be held liable for her death”.
According to the petition, the family is demanding the release of Mrs De-Freitas’ medical report while seeking for a reevaluation of the medical license of the health care centre by the Ministry of Health.

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