A police sergeant, Alumona Sabastine, has dragged the management of Alex Ekweme University Teaching hospital (AE-FETHA) to court for alleged negligence, following the death of his young daughter Miss. Onyema Rosemary Osinachi Alumona, at the health facility.

Sgt. Alumona Sabastine, the father of the deceased, filed a one billion naira (#1.b) suit against the Alex Ekwueme federal university teaching Hospital.

He alleged that the medical officers failed to appropriately treat and manage his child’s condition at the moment the child was brought to the health facility.

He alledged that the deceased Miss Onyema Rosemary Osinachi Alumona, died as a result of over dosage of mesporin 1000mg on her by staff of the hospital, which led to her untimely death.

The suit stated further that the failures, negligence and careless acts and omissions of the medical officers who treated the 6month old baby at the hospital caused her death.

He also alleged that the medical officers neglected to act with due care and skills to appropriately treat and manage his daughter’s condition, resulting to her death.

The lawsuit listed the Alex Ekwueme federal teaching Hospital and Dr. Sunday Nweke (1st and 2nd Defendant), Dr. Okere Kenechukwu (3nd Defendant), Dr. Moffin Bakaten (4th Defendant), Dr. Uzochukwu Ike (5th Defendant) Dr. Emeka Onwe Ogah (6th Defendant) and Board of management Alex Ekwueme federal teaching hospital (7th Defendant) as defendants in the case.

The statement of claim stated that on arrival at the 1st Defendant and presentation of his daughter by his wife to the consultant pediatrician Sunday Nweke, and his medical team, that the wife complained to them of frequent stooling arising from the breakfast of pap she took the same morning, and did not complain of any other ailment as their daughter had neither fever nor headache.

However, after the daughter was attended to at the pediatric consulting room by Dr Sunday Nweke, (a consultant pediatrician) in the presence of the members of his medical team amongst whom the plaintiff believed are either student doctors or house officers , numerous others who were addressing 2nd Defendant Dr Sunday Nweke as Chief.

Based on the examination by Dr Sunday Nweke, the now-deceased child was asked to be administered two litres of 10%dextrose R/L 12hourly by Dr Sunday Nweke since the child was weak and dehydrated.

Notwithstanding, Dr Nweke had, ordered that the first set of 10% dextrose in (ringers lactate) 12 hourly should run fast since on his examination, assessment and impression that the daughter of the plaintiff was weak and exhausted which Dr uzochukwu Ike a member of Dr Sunday Nweke’s medical team administered.

The complaint also states that the same Dr. Nweke ordered three vials of the injection mesporine 1000mg (ceftriaxone injection intravenously) which Dr Ike also wrote in the prescription sheet in the folder of their daughter.

After a while even as the wife were already playing with their daughter, whose deteriorating condition had stabilized and was no more on oxygen, that Dr Okeke Kenechukwu came around the bedside of their daughter, picked her folder and flipped through and thereafter asked plaintiff’s wife why the mesporine 1000mg (ceftriaxone inj. IV) has not been administered to their daughter?

The plaintiff’s wife said she informed Dr Okeke that the consultant Dr Sunday Nweke through Dr Uzochukwu asked them not to buy the said mesporine because based on the laboratory investigations result there nothing basically and clinically wrong with their daughter and that deteriorating condition have stabilized and there was no need for administration of the prescribed mesporine 1000mg (ceftriaxone) but Dr Okeke would not listen to her explanation but rather became aggressive, scolded and shouted at the plaintiff and pushed him to go and buy the three (3) packs of mesporine.  Eyewitness.naija