By Emmanuel Udom
A
non-governmental organization is planning to drag the management of the
Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) to court over the allege negligence
that resulted in the untimely death of woman, who had completions after
the birth of her child at the hospital.
Dr Abiola
Akiyode-Afolabi, Executive Director, Women Advocates Research and Documentation
Center (WARDC) told journalists in Lagos on Tuesday that Mrs Folake Odunyoye, a
fashion designer, married to a printer husband was admitted to LUTH on
September 7, this year following complications arising from her delivery on
August 30, this year.
According
to Akiyode-Afolabi, the woman was discharged on October 31, this year, but
prevented by the management of LUTH from going home for failure to settle an
outstanding medical bill of N1.3million, even with the fact that the family
members of the late fashion designer had paid more than N800, 000 to the
hospital.
Her words:
During the course of her detention from October 31, this year, the deceased
needed further medical attention, yet this was refused her due to the
outstanding balance and she was also prevented by the management of LUTH from
seeking further medical attention elsewhere, which eventually led to her death
on that same day from cough related illness at the teaching hospital.
The WARDC
disclosed that based his NGO is prepared to compel LUTH to conduct
investigations into the on-going systematic practice of illegal detention after
birth for women, who cannot afford the cost of treatment for pregnancy and
child birth related issues.
She vowed
to seek the intervention of the court to ensure that justice is seen to be done
in the matter and the family of the late woman compensated by the management of
LUTH, saying that the departed Folake left four children for the hustling
husband to cater for.
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