LUTH – A FATAL MODE OF OPERATION

June 19, 2012, my mum was discharged from Dafe Medical Centre, Ketu and referred to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, (LASUTH) Ikeja for further treatment of the incidence of Stroke she had which resulted to her left sided paralysis. At LASUTH, the On-Call Doctor personally advised me to take my mum to LUTH because in her words “Mama needs constant observation and treatment which can be gotten here but, we do not have bed space” so I heed her advise and took her to LUTH against the judgment of my elder Sister who suggested we take her to a Hospital in Festac where she stays for proximity and close observation.

She was admitted that night, but not without help from a Doctor friend.

The Doctor that was assigned to my mum lost a patient under his care minutes after my mum was admitted and he commenced medical procedure on my mum thereafter. Two days after, my mum was taken to Ward A4, Female ward.

I got back from work at five in the evening and drove to the Hospital to see her before going home and the nurses on duty as at then assured me that my mum was going to be well taken care of. I left around 6:30pm that day. The next day, my elder Sister called and told me that my mum’s right hand, the only one she could move was tied to the bed post and some of the patients in the ward were blaming her for leaving our mum that early without ensuring that she had mosquito net. By the time I got there, I found out that the nurses left my mum alone without giving her medications that night, June 21, 2012. She slept without her usual insulin and without mosquito net. That day, I got mosquito net and used for her which became my usual routine every day before going back home.

In LUTH, you are not expected to stay with your ill relative, the Nurses will tell you that they’ll take care of them but they don’t. I know this because several times I go and I meet my mum still soiled with the adult pampers she used the previous day, most times I clean her up and while doing that a Nurse will come and start harassing you telling me to leave but will still refuse to attend to her until I insist they do. Most of their excuses were that they have a lot of patients to attend to.

There are some very good Nurses who treat my mum like their own, my mum used to tell me to thank those ones but others are just too wicked that you’ll ask if they have a heart at all. No wonder she used to tell me to take her home. She was always saying that she’ll prefer to die at home rather than this place. There was a day I got to the Hospital and noticed that all my mum had on for covering was just the diaper around her waist, there was no blanket covering her bed, no wrapper on her body, her catheter was off so she had urine on the bed, the Nurse that fed her did it in a hurry that she left spilled food on the bed and the rest dripping down her mouth and stool all over the Physiotherapist ring she was lying on, this is a patient that is paralyzed and also Diabetic. Because of the paralysis, when I feed her, I always make sure I do so gently and patiently because it takes time for her to chew and swallow, the wicked Nurses don’t have that kind of patience because according to them, they have other patients to attend to, yet they’ll not allow you to do it yourself. What sense does that make? But other nice Nurses would allow and even thank you for helping out.

There’s no test they asked that I didn’t run, no drug they asked me to buy that I did not buy, there are records to show.

The Doctors, when they come will write out drug prescriptions for you to buy because to them the Pharmacy doesn’t supply on time, meanwhile, the Pharmacy will still bill you for the same drugs you bought because the prescription would still be sent out to them anyway.

On one occasion, a Nurse called my attention to the fact that a drug called Clexane an anti-clot ( she takes it daily at 7am) which the Pharmacy claimed had been supplied was not on my mum’s drug plate, she said she was going to notify the night Nurse. The next day, which was Saturday July 7, 2012, I got to the Hospital at 1:30pm but discovered that as at that time my mum had not been given the said drug, so I asked the Doctor to write a prescription out for me and I went out to buy the drug which cost N3, 200.00 outside the Hospital before the Nurse I met reluctantly gave it to her at 2pm. A drug she ought to have taken at 7am.

A similar thing happened the week before, I noticed that my mum had temperature and I suggested to the Doctor that I suspect she has malaria. Two days after in the evening, he agreed to run a test after realizing that the temperature was persistent. When I got to the Lab the attendant said I should come for the result at 5pm the next day. That night they gave my mum Paracetamol. When I eventually got the result the next day, it confirmed what I earlier told the Doctor and he prescribed “Lonart” an anti-malaria drug. The night Nurse gave her only Pcm (also known as Paracetamol) thinking that she’ll be given the anti-malarial drug prescribed by the Doctor, but the next day afternoon, I discovered that they’ve not administered the anti-malarial drug, when I inquired, the Nurse on duty said they didn’t find the drug on her drug plate and so my mum didn’t get any medication for the malaria, I had to personally go to the Pharmacist who told me that he had supplied the drug the night before, but the Nurses still insisted that the drug wasn’t supplied, it took the whole day for the issue to be resolved, at the end of the day, they realized that the Pharmacy didn’t supply the drug in the first place, my mum didn’t get the drug administered to her till the next day!

These are just instances that I personally witness, and I know there are others I didn’t know about.

Days will go by, my mum will not get her IV line in because according to the Doctors, they could not find vein, so they’ll tell me to encourage her to take lots of water. Due to incessant poking of her skin, my mum got infected and I was asked to run several blood test including Blood Culture which they say run for seven working days for them to determine the kind of infection she has. That test didn’t come out till my mum died.
My mum died a day (precisely Tuesday July 10, 2012 at 5:40am) after I spent over N35K to get drugs and Central Line kit which I was made to realize is another way of getting a Line into my mum for her to receive the required medication that could have saved her life.

She told me Friday night, July 6, 2012 (the last time I saw her speak) that I should take her home and bring her back the next day, but I told her that I’ll take her home on Tuesday July 10, 2012, by Saturday July 7, 2012, I met my mum unable to speak, she couldn’t even recognize me. I called the attention of the Nurse when I notice her hand shaking vigorously, she took several minutes to respond to my call and when she did, she told me that the doctor is the only one that can attend to my mum and she doesn’t have the Doctor’s number, I quickly rushed and called the Doctor who unusually rushed down and started treating her, giving her the needed attention when it was too late. I saw my mum’s condition deteriorating before my eyes, I noticed that when she sees me, tears run down her eyes yet she couldn’t speak out because of the pain she was going through. I had begged the Doctors some days back to allow me take her away and they said I’ll have to sign that I would be taking her away against medical advice. I should’ve known better. My mum could talk when I brought her to LUTH; she could sit and remain in that position unaided until she asks you to help her lie down. I pay N750 everyday for food that she can’t eat, spent so much because I thought Government Hospital was cheaper and had the best hands, yet all for nothing.

I don’t have physical proof to press charges but I leave everything to God, for him to pay each person that was involve in the care-to-death of my mum to receive their just reward. We will each reap what we sow

Sleep on mother till we meet to part no more!

@op

May Allah forgive her and accept her good deeds. I went through a similar experience in LUTH and i can still tell u that teaching hospitals is one of the best but if you have to go to a private pls just let it be Lagoon hospital, st nicholas or reddington though it cost a lot of money but you can get their service through HMO.

Luth has a lot of problem ranging from obsolete equipment to mismanagement, non challant attitude of doctors, Nurses, non medical staffs.

Presently in lagos state, General hospital ikeja,gbagada,ifako are far better than LUTH now base on my experience recently.

Only God can truly judge. My sympathies go to you and your family. Take heart my brother.

Presently in lagos state, General hospital ikeja,gbagada,ifako are far better than LUTH now base on my experience recently.

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Yes it's true, a lot people are saying General Hospital is far better that's why they have more people trooping there, but they don't have the capacity to take on everyone.

Thank you so much sir!

Luth is not the noly guilty hospital here, gwagwalada specialist did same to my late mum infact if we had not moved our father to a private hospital, we would have lost both parents in within a week. These so called general hospitasl use to be good in those days but not anymore.

@op pls accept my condolences.
For every one: while taking ur loved ones to d hospital just anchor ur hope on God pray for d fellow like u administer drugs. D truth is not all u find in d hospital posing as docs nurses or ward attndants r either human or have clean hearts. Belive me or not some r waitin to suck blood. So have dis in mind docs can only treate but only God can heal.

Hi,
Very sorry to read what happened to your mum. I know you feel that you don't have enough proof to sue but I can assure you that if you report the doctors (OR ALL parties involved) in the negligent treatment and care (or lack of) to the Medical and Dental Council, you will be surprised. Amongst other services, they will investigate and withdraw the license of negligent doctors. Of course your doctor will not tell you this but this should be in any medical contract.

Zonal Office in Lagos has also been relocated from the Federal Secretariat, Ikoyi, Lagos to No 147, Broad Street, Opposite Elephant House, Marina, Lagos; Tel: 01-8979432.
Goodluck and let us know the outcome.

@op

I will advise you to sheath your sword of suing them and leave everything to God to judge them because its a herculean task, like i said earlier i have similar experience but my baby survive at a huge cost.

Getting the report from the management of LUTH is something else. But if u have the courage be ready for a great battle. i.e of recent a nollywood actor lost his child there.

Pathetic,tears stroling out of my eye.nigeria my only country,when will things start working in my fathers land

from the stories i've heard about this luth, it is safe to conclude that the place is nothing but a death centre where patients are left at the mercies of negligent personel only to die horrific deaths that could have been avoided. @erumena, my deep condolences to you and your family.may God give you the strength to bear the sad loss and the guidiance in handling this situation. you should take actions to bring these evil people to justice.they cant continue to toy with peoples lives and get away with it.