On Tuesday, the Braithwaite Memorial Specialist Hospital (BMSH), Old GRA, Port Harcourt was thrown to mourning following the death of one Mrs. Amaka Rosemary Sokari.
Mrs. Sokari was rushed to the hospital for an undisclosed ailment and needed oxygen to sustain her. This weekly gathered that, getting to the hospital (BMH), the nurses demanded for N5,000 before Mrs. Sokari will be given the oxygen to enhance her breathing.
Information had it that on the arrival of the hospital Mrs. Sokari was compelled to pay N3,000 for emergency ward, N9,000 for test and another N600 for checking of her sugar level, adding that the relatives who took Mrs. Sokari to the hospital pleaded with the nurses and doctors on duty that, the deceased should be given the oxygen so that when the husband arrives, he can upset the N5,000 bill.
“The doctors and the nurses refused to administer any medication, saying that until the N5,000 for supplying of the oxygen is paid” one of the relatives told our health correspondent.
Narrating his ordeal, the deceased husband, Comrade Ibiye Sokari told our reporter that his mother and friend also paid the sum of N15,000 when they took his wife to the BMH for the purchase of folder/card, syringes and hand gloves, yet treatment was far from his late wife.
Comrade Sokari condemned the attitude of the medical personnel in the BMH. The relatives of the deceased who sadly spoke to this weekly called on the Rivers State Ministry of Health, the management of the hospital and the relevant authorities to investigate the death of Mrs. Sokari and bring to book those medical officers who were carelees and give them appropriate disciplinary measures.
When our health correspondent visited the hospital, it was gathered that three other patients including a 13 year old boy died in similar circumstance.
One Mr. Jackson John who spoke to this weekly described the situation as pathetic and termed it as “negligence of duty”. He called on the government to punish those medical officers who were on duty when the ugly incident occurred.
It would be recalled that similar situation happened in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, UPTH when a 200 level student, Precious was rushed to the hospital for a medical attention, but was neglected by the nurses on duty which led to her umtimely death. ###
Bennett James/Joe Maxim
