BY PETER OKUTU
ABAKALIKI-A woman
identified as Mama Twins
residing along Diamond
Point road, Abakaliki,
weekend lost her twin
babies because her doctor
friend (names withheld)
refused to open the gate to
his private hospital for fear
that his clients were
kidnappers.
It will be recalled that a
Consultant Paediatrician, Dr.
Pius Chuka Manyaike with
the Federal Teaching
Hospital, Abakaliki, FETHA
was on 5th May kidnapped
by unknown gunmen while
entering his private hospital
at No. 5A Owerri Street,
Abakaliki but was later
rescued after one week in
the hands of his abductors.
Vanguard learnt that the
woman who went into
labour at about 2am of the
fateful day drove to the
hospital (name withheld) in
company of her neighbour
and first son; made frantic
effort to enter the hospital
but couldn’t because the
doctor allegedly didn’t give
directive that the gate of his
hospital be opened at that
time of the day.
It was gathered that the
doctor who refused to open
the gate to
hospital allegedly suspected
that his clients were
kidnappers, considering the
time and manner they
arrived his hospital; not
knowing that his assumption
were not true.
A source close to the hospital
stated that it was not the
ethics of the medical
profession for doctors to
refuse to attend to patients
especially those admitted at
the Accident and Emergency
Ward.
The source however added
that the doctor had
apologized to the woman for
his inability to attend to her
when she called at his
hospital and explained that
the recent wave of kidnap
and brutality meted out on
doctors in the state were
gradually restraining doctors
from performing their duties
as at when due.
In a chat with Vanguard, the
woman who was
alternatively rushed to the
Federal Teaching Hospital,
FETHA, after frantic effort to
see her doctor friend failed,
lost her twin babies as it was
gathered that she had lost so
much blood before she was
eventually attended to.
The woman who is a mother
of five children had been
delivered of two set of twins
years ago as the doctors
who attended to her at the
FETHA confirmed that the
babies she lost were equally
twins (boys).
Meantime, the State Chairman
of Nigeria Medical
Association, NMA, Dr. Chidi
Esike who appealed to
doctors to go about their
duties without fear stated
that the state government
had put machineries in place
to ensure the protection of
lives and properties in the
state.
“I’m appealing to doctors to
go about their duties; there
is no reason for them to be
afraid since government has
already assures of adequate
security at all times. We made
some recommendations to
government when one of
our colleagues was
kidnapped and I believe that
they (government) has taken
note of them”

berem: hmmm..... so sad! I don't know whom to blame. RIP to the twins.