Dear Nigerians, I'm using this medium to share my recent experience in the hands of baby-doctors at UCH, Ibadan. My mum started feeling immense pain in her lower abdomen in January and I personally took her to UCH myself where she was directed to see one Dr Irabor who was a consultant. This man admitted her right away on d ground dat she needs to take some test for them to figure out what was wrong.

She was writhing intense pain for good three weeks with series of every test known to mankind carried out by half baked student doctors who couldnt even take blood samples without injuring her. It was a terrible experience. Eventually, she was booked for surgery which she had to beg and cry before it was carried out simply because we didnt know anyone at UCH.

This surgery was carried out by one Dr Ojo and his 'killer squad'. (All the while my mum was on admission, this consultant Dr Irabor didnt show up) and even for the surgery; if only to monitor. After this fateful surgery, we were jubilant thinking it was over not knowing it was just the beginning.

Few weeks after she was discharged, her belly started swelling so much she had to go back to the same 'clowns' called doctors (Dr Ojo and Irabor) who now said she had hernia that they had left some part of her abdominal wall opened deliberately so that the puss found in her belly would drain completely. They were dumb and so unprofessional and didnt think of how the opening will close after the draining. (Maybe that wouldnt have happened if Dr Irabor, who was the consultant wasnt too big to supervise his patent's surgery). So they said her intestines were coming out through the opening.

And all this while, they were already on strike immediately after her surgery. But as mother luck would av it, my elder sister who resides in UK had to send for her to come for the surgery cos it had swollen so much she couldnt go out anymore. The corrective surgery over there costs about 2.5m naira which she will be paying through her nose. The surgeon there said she was lucky to come over and that all the stitches done inside her was loose already and the place that was left opened had torn up to her backside. I bless God who didnt allow UCH kid doctors and foolishly arrogant consultant send my mum to the grave untimely. Please share this till it gets to the appropriate quarters so as to save some other peoples lives who may not have the chance to travel abroad for quality healthcare.

can u imagine such level of recklessness...

And You Don't Know Thousands, If Not Millions That Have Gone This Way. Killer Squad Indeed.

Sorry about your mum's ordeal. Many people have been sent to their early graves by the incompetency of Nigerian medical doctors. I blame our useless government for having no political will to correct the rots in our health sector.


@mods please, this post deserves to get to front page.

Uch is a big problem.

Op should do Nigerians a huge favour by suing the bastard demigods who careless about human life! Who dash dem consultant... Rubbish

If I talk now, they will say that I am jealous and wanted to read medicine but failed jamb
It's well.
The health sector needs a total overhaul!
Adopt international best practices if the health sector is to be rebuilt

3 sides of a story, . Your side(we have heard that) the other side(yet to hear that) and the truth ( only God knows the 100%truth).
So let's wait for the other side of the story

I understand that u are under a lot of pressure, but It's easy to note a Nigerian speak, and ur level of arrogance is glaring.

The Doctors are not the cause of ur mums acute abdomen, but were frantically seeking for ways to help. Don't vent the frustration of ur mums illness on Nigerian Doctors. Many inconclusive tests where also carried out by other health workers.

A sick person may not be the easiest of people to draw blood from, as several of her veins may have collapsed. Venepuncture, doesn't kill anyone. In chronic cancer patients we something's have to use a 3 way central line for blood draws and medications.

There is nothing like kid doctors. There may be Medical students, Medical officers, registrar's. However the Junior Doctors are the hope of tomorrow. Nigerian Doctors are not bad at all, at least 1000 passed the UK board exams. That itself is reassuring.

Complications could occur from surgery done anywhere in the world. People have died from a bleeding aortofemoral byepass surgery done in the best centres in the world. That's the aim of signing consent before surgery. Surgery do have complications sometimes.

Thousands of patients have been saved in UCH, and owe some gratitude to those same consultants u slander and use unsavory words for. And Gods judgement awaits u, if u slander them unjustly. Because I am sure they didn't cause ur mums acute abdominal pain.

If u have any case against someone, the best ways to handle it is to take it up. Report to authorities, charge them to court and let true justice be done, not using disparaging words on people in the court of public opinion.

The whole of Last year and the past several cases were taken up by patients in tertiary hospitals, and at the end the Doctors weren't at fault.

In one case the child was on prolonged steriod from another hospital, the parents never disclosed this even wen asked before surgery. The child died the theatre table and the parents made all sort of unsavory remarks and publications about the hospital and Doctors.

In another case, a patient had metastatic CA, was informed and counselled for treatment, but ran away, only to present at the terminal stage and then was blaming dirty bed sheets, doctors not able to start an IV line once, old oxygen cylinders and junior Doctors.

In yet another case a child was stooling over 20 times a day, was taken to a chemist and when the child was totally spent, he was brought to a hospital. The parents complained how they looked for vein over 5times, how they shaved the hair finally, and how lack of oxygen killed the child.

All these cases were struck out.

Nigerians have a bad attitude to health care. A doctor's cannot introduce himself as a Junior Doctor, because once he does that, a patient with malaria starts asking to see the senior Doctor. However in the same UK the FY2 will walk of to u and say, "I am Dr X, one of the Junior Doctors in the Surgical Department", and the same Nigerian will be shivering and saying yes sir.

Repent and pray ur mum recovers fully and any of ur relative doesn't need the help of a " Nigerian Doctor".

MrBigiman:
I understand that u are under a lot of pressure, but It's easy to note a Nigerian speak, and ur level of arrogance is glaring.

The Doctors are not the cause of ur mums acute abdomen, but were frantically seeking for ways to help. Don't vent the frustration of ur mums illness on Nigerian Doctors. Many inconclusive tests where also carried out by other health workers.

A sick person may not be the easiest of people to draw blood from, as several of her veins may have collapsed. Venepuncture, doesn't kill anyone. In chronic cancer patients we something's have to use a 3 way central line for blood draws and medications.

There is nothing like kid doctors. There may be Medical students, Medical officers, registrar's. However the Junior Doctors are the hope of tomorrow. Nigerian Doctors are not bad at all, at least 1000 passed the UK board exams. That itself is reassuring.

Complications could occur from surgery done anywhere in the world. People have died from a bleeding aortofemoral byepass surgery done in the best centres in the world. That's the aim of signing consent before surgery. Surgery do have complications sometimes.

Thousands of patients have been saved in UCH, and owe some gratitude to those same consultants u slander and use unsavory words for. And Gods judgement awaits u, if u slander them unjustly. Because I am sure they didn't cause ur mums acute abdominal pain.

If u have any case against someone, the best ways to handle it is to take it up. Report to authorities, charge them to court and let true justice be done, not using disparaging words on people in the court of public opinion.

The whole of Last year and the past several cases were taken up by patients in tertiary hospitals, and at the end the Doctors weren't at fault.

In one case the child was on prolonged steriod from another hospital, the parents never disclosed this even wen asked before surgery. The child died the theatre table and the parents made all sort of unsavory remarks and publications about the hospital and Doctors.

In another case, a patient had metastatic CA, was informed and counselled for treatment, but ran away, only to present at the terminal stage and then was blaming dirty bed sheets, doctors not able to start an IV line once, old oxygen cylinders and junior Doctors.

In yet another case a child was stooling over 20 times a day, was taken to a chemist and when the child was totally spent, he was brought to a hospital. The parents complained how they looked for vein over 5times, how they shaved the hair finally, and how lack of oxygen killed the child.

All these cases were struck out.

Nigerians have a bad attitude to health care. A doctor's cannot introduce himself as a Junior Doctor, because once he does that, a patient with malaria starts asking to see the senior Doctor. However in the same UK the FY2 will walk of to u and say, "I am Dr X, one of the Junior Doctors in the Surgical Department", and the same Nigerian will be shivering and saying yes sir.

Repent and pray ur mum recovers fully and any of ur relative doesn't need the help of a " Nigerian Doctor".

So on point. You just made my day!

MrBigiman:
I understand that u are under a lot of pressure, but It's easy to note a Nigerian speak, and ur level of arrogance is glaring.

The Doctors are not the cause of ur mums acute abdomen, but were frantically seeking for ways to help. Don't vent the frustration of ur mums illness on Nigerian Doctors. Many inconclusive tests where also carried out by other health workers.

A sick person may not be the easiest of people to draw blood from, as several of her veins may have collapsed. Venepuncture, doesn't kill anyone. In chronic cancer patients we something's have to use a 3 way central line for blood draws and medications.

There is nothing like kid doctors. There may be Medical students, Medical officers, registrar's. However the Junior Doctors are the hope of tomorrow. Nigerian Doctors are not bad at all, at least 1000 passed the UK board exams. That itself is reassuring.

Complications could occur from surgery done anywhere in the world. People have died from a bleeding aortofemoral byepass surgery done in the best centres in the world. That's the aim of signing consent before surgery. Surgery do have complications sometimes.

Thousands of patients have been saved in UCH, and owe some gratitude to those same consultants u slander and use unsavory words for. And Gods judgement awaits u, if u slander them unjustly. Because I am sure they didn't cause ur mums acute abdominal pain.

If u have any case against someone, the best ways to handle it is to take it up. Report to authorities, charge them to court and let true justice be done, not using disparaging words on people in the court of public opinion.

The whole of Last year and the past several cases were taken up by patients in tertiary hospitals, and at the end the Doctors weren't at fault.

In one case the child was on prolonged steriod from another hospital, the parents never disclosed this even wen asked before surgery. The child died the theatre table and the parents made all sort of unsavory remarks and publications about the hospital and Doctors.

In another case, a patient had metastatic CA, was informed and counselled for treatment, but ran away, only to present at the terminal stage and then was blaming dirty bed sheets, doctors not able to start an IV line once, old oxygen cylinders and junior Doctors.

In yet another case a child was stooling over 20 times a day, was taken to a chemist and when the child was totally spent, he was brought to a hospital. The parents complained how they looked for vein over 5times, how they shaved the hair finally, and how lack of oxygen killed the child.

All these cases were struck out.

Nigerians have a bad attitude to health care. A doctor's cannot introduce himself as a Junior Doctor, because once he does that, a patient with malaria starts asking to see the senior Doctor. However in the same UK the FY2 will walk of to u and say, "I am Dr X, one of the Junior Doctors in the Surgical Department", and the same Nigerian will be shivering and saying yes sir.

Repent and pray ur mum recovers fully and any of ur relative doesn't need the help of a " Nigerian Doctor".

I have a whole lots of reasons to applaud this response.

Previously, I do blame doctors for many of the problems we see in healthcare delivery in Nigeria. However, I have come to understand the reality. One thing I have discovered with a lot of Nigerians, including me, is the problem of being too quick to conclude without adequate premises, and consequently pass wrong judgement. Though, I have been enlightened, and so work to overcome this.

Many thanks again for this wonderful explanation.

sainty2k3:
3 sides of a story, . Your side(we have heard that) the other side(yet to hear that) and the truth ( only God knows the 100%truth).
So let's wait for the other side of the story

Exactly.

Thank you very much Dr Bigiman (Hope I got it right). I took my time to read ur medical epistle and I concluded you are in the medical field.

I agree with u there are wonderful doctors all around who know their onion.

But you as a medical person should know that it is absolutely unethical for any surgeon to work based on assumptions. I means surgeries on a human, not a lab rat.

How the hell would you convince me that leaving a section of the internal abdomen cut open and assuming that magically, it will sew itself shut was a professional act.

That was a complete amateur and unprofessional act. Assumptions or gross carelessness. That singlular act could have cost her life. I may not be in the medical field, but i know human medicine wont work with magic.

I should be telling you to fear God because you dont know what it feels to lose a loved one as a result of an individual's recklessness. I pray you will never experience that Dr Bigiman.

Were the tables turned, arrogant doctors and consultants would react more aggresively. You never know where it hurts people until you wear their shoes.

Stephaustin:


I have a whole lots of reasons to applaud this response.

Previously, I do blame doctors for many of the problems we see in healthcare delivery in Nigeria. However, I have come to understand the reality. One thing I have discovered with a lot of Nigerians, including me, is the problem of being too quick to conclude without adequate premises, and consequently pass wrong judgement. Though, I have been enlightened, and so work to overcome this.

Many thanks again for this wonderful explanation.

Thanks for understanding my point.

Olajide200:
Thank you very much Dr Bigiman (Hope I got it right). I took my time to read ur medical epistle and I concluded you are in the medical field.

I agree with u there are wonderful doctors all around who know their onion.

But you as a medical person should know that it is absolutely unethical for any surgeon to work based on assumptions. I means surgeries on a human, not a lab rat.

How the hell would you convince me that leaving a section of the internal abdomen cut open and assuming that magically, it will sew itself shut was a professional act.

That was a complete amateur and unprofessional act. Assumptions or gross carelessness. That singlular act could have cost her life. I may not be in the medical field, but i know human medicine wont work with magic.

I should be telling you to fear God because you dont know what it feels to lose a loved one as a result of an individual's recklessness. I pray you will never experience that Dr Bigiman.

Were the tables turned, arrogant doctors and consultants would react more aggresively. You never know where it hurts people until you wear their shoes.

I am grateful ur mum is coming out victorious. And u have played a vital role in seeing that things went rightly.

We are generally reactive as Nigerians, and as a Doctor, I am blessed to have a dual perspective to Medicine, having had both foreign and local stimulation.

Acute abdomen is a surgical emergency and sometimes a surgical dilemma. Reasons ranging from lack of facilities, to human limitation, to even incomplete history can limit our diagnostic ability. For example, an acute abdominal pain may require a CT, and if it's not available, getting at a diagnosis may be delayed. Sometimes, like I saw recently too, you do all radiologic investigations and still cannot arrive at the cause, or the radiologist keeps quering several possibilities.

When the above happens and the patient is deteriorating on conservative management, which may involve a tube being passed through the nose to relax the intestines, fluid and broad spectrum antibiotics, then the Surgeon needs to act.

There's a procedure call exploratory laparotomy, where u have to act and go In to unravel and stop the cause of the pain, even when u don't have a full clue. So that answers the guessing part.

Your mum may also have either a large abdominal abcess or a large pelvic abscess in addition to the other finding and that pus must all get out if not ur mums pain may return, as the remaining pus, may be a new focus for infection. This is solved by manually removing the pus, and using a suction to remove the pus (Some hospitals in Nigeria don't have a functioning suction, sometimes doctors use tourch light). A pipe is left in the intestine, and a bag to the exterior to drain the remaining pus.

Afterwards broad spectrum antibiotics are used. Funny enuf the types of drugs used in the UK like pipperacilin, tozobactam are not available here, even when the doctors knows. He has to use ceftriaxone and flagyl.

In 90% or more of cases when the drain is removed, the little space created by the drain closes and the patient is fine. However in some cases, like ur mum's, it doesn't. This may necessarily not be the Doctors fault, it could be surgical complication, or the volume of access and the limitation of our antibiotics and that area is infected. This causes an incisional hernia. Unfortunately, this is what ur mum had.

While it's very normal to be upset, be assured that the Doctors never meant any harm, and they would have tried to repair the fascia which had given way. Luckily you had the means to go abroad which is not a bad thing.

I worked in the A and E recently and had a VOC, I attended to the patient to the best of my ability, and the next day transferred to the team responsible for such. Even though I had remembered the patient, I didn't check on them anymore. Few days after, I saw them discharged and the mum yelled that I abandoned them. However, I didn't, because I had referred them to her team, and visiting them will only be a social affair, as my input was not needed anymore, and my hands where already filled with obligation.

In the end u can believe whatever u choose to, but putting up Dr Irabors name, and calling Doctors baby Doctors, is not also fair on those guys, who seek to help in very limiting circumstances. I once had a woman insult me and call me names as a Medical student trying to use her for history taking , she wouldn't allow me explain, but years later, I would play a vital role in saving her dying baby. If everyone had called me Medical student or baby like in ur case, we can imagine the effect.

I hope ur mum recovers fully

Well done

Mr Bigiman

Well said Doc
As a clinical Pharmacist. Pipercillin /tazobactam readily available now in Nigeria.the brand is Revotaz and Annie Pharmaceutical in Lagos has Generic brand also of same.bioavailability.

MrBigiman:


I am grateful ur mum is coming out victorious. And u have played a vital role in seeing that things went rightly.

We are generally reactive as Nigerians, and as a Doctor, I am blessed to have a dual perspective to Medicine, having had both foreign and local stimulation.

Acute abdomen is a surgical emergency and sometimes a surgical dilemma. Reasons ranging from lack of facilities, to human limitation, to even incomplete history can limit our diagnostic ability. For example, an acute abdominal pain may require a CT, and if it's not available, getting at a diagnosis may be delayed. Sometimes, like I saw recently too, you do all radiologic investigations and still cannot arrive at the cause, or the radiologist keeps quering several possibilities.

When the above happens and the patient is deteriorating on conservative management, which may involve a tube being passed through the nose to relax the intestines, fluid and broad spectrum antibiotics, then the Surgeon needs to act.

There's a procedure call exploratory laparotomy, where u have to act and go In to unravel and stop the cause of the pain, even when u don't have a full clue. So that answers the guessing part.

Your mum may also have either a large abdominal abcess or a large pelvic abscess in addition to the other finding and that pus must all get out if not ur mums pain may return, as the remaining pus, may be a new focus for infection. This is solved by manually removing the pus, and using a suction to remove the pus (Some hospitals in Nigeria don't have a functioning suction, sometimes doctors use tourch light). A pipe is left in the intestine, and a bag to the exterior to drain the remaining pus.

Afterwards broad spectrum antibiotics are used. Funny enuf the types of drugs used in the UK like pipperacilin, tozobactam are not available here, even when the doctors knows. He has to use ceftriaxone and flagyl.

In 90% or more of cases when the drain is removed, the little space created by the drain closes and the patient is fine. However in some cases, like ur mum's, it doesn't. This may necessarily not be the Doctors fault, it could be surgical complication, or the volume of access and the limitation of our antibiotics and that area is infected. This causes an incisional hernia. Unfortunately, this is what ur mum had.

While it's very normal to be upset, be assured that the Doctors never meant any harm, and they would have tried to repair the fascia which had given way. Luckily you had the means to go abroad which is not a bad thing.

I worked in the A and E recently and had a VOC, I attended to the patient to the best of my ability, and the next day transferred to the team responsible for such. Even though I had remembered the patient, I didn't check on them anymore. Few days after, I saw them discharged and the mum yelled that I abandoned them. However, I didn't, because I had referred them to her team, and visiting them will only be a social affair, as my input was not needed anymore, and my hands where already filled with obligation.

In the end u can believe whatever u choose to, but putting up Dr Irabors name, and calling Doctors baby Doctors, is not also fair on those guys, who seek to help in very limiting circumstances. I once had a woman insult me and call me names as a Medical student trying to use her for history taking , she wouldn't allow me explain, but years later, I would play a vital role in saving her dying baby. If everyone had called me Medical student or baby like in ur case, we can imagine the effect.

I hope ur mum recovers fully

Well done

Mr Bigiman

ebonyjoke:
Well said Doc
As a clinical Pharmacist. Pipercillin /tazobactam readily available now in Nigeria.the brand is Revotaz and Annie Pharmaceutical in Lagos has Generic brand also of same.bioavailability.

Thanks pharm. Pharmacists know these things and know that patient recovery is as important as the drugs used. Working with the general hospital years back I knew that cellulitis was best treated with the cloxacillin+a penicillin to cover staph and strept. I also know that tigercycline, vancomycin or linezolid could be used for MRSA's, however wen suppurative cellulitis struck, our hands were tied and we had to make use with other available alternatives. However, pharmacists know they play a vital role in patient care, and actually can help or mar a doctor's sincere effort.

Where is Annie Pharmacy in Lagos?

Doc, in as much as I dont want to say anything anymore or make it sound personal, I still av to empasize again that a mistake was made and it was costly.

Cleverly, u didnt mention anything about the fact that a gash was left opened right inside the abdomen. (Was it supposed to close by itself? Did these surgeons not envisage what u called incisional hernia?)

Whatever u choose to believe too Doc, I stand my ground that a very costly mistake was made out of negligence and I have never seen any doctor admit he made a mistake by assuming.

I am cocksure u wouldnt either

Allow me comment briefly about u sending a patient whom u first attended to; to another team. Profesional; u will say, but know for sure that she needed u again. Make it ur own style ( NB: u dont av to agree with me). No matter d circumtances and how busy u are, see ur patient d second time, even if its a minute. U wont believe the effects it has. As for me, thats profesional.

All in all, I wish u d very best. Be safe

The recent information I got now is that she will be needing plastic surgery because UCH 'professionals' distrupted a blood supply to her lower abdomen and the skin there will need to be recontructed. So much from our 'seasoned' 'pros'

Olajide200:
The recent information I got now is that she will be needing plastic surgery because UCH 'professionals' distrupted a blood supply to her lower abdomen and the skin there will need to be recontructed. So much from our 'seasoned' 'pros'

I think when she recovers, u should take the case up. U could make a formal complaint to the management of UCH demanding them to look into ur mums "unfair treatment", or u could use a lawyer too, and demand damages. This is so u can allay ur worries, and so u don't unjustly tagg people, because complications can arise from Surgery, even in the best hospitals. Negligence is a different thing all together. I pray ur mum overcomes this painful time.

Our healthcare really needs to improve

Its actually Annie Pharmaceuticals Nigeria. Isolo Lagos State.(same as Jawa group of Companies).

qquote author=MrBigiman post=68573297]

Thanks pharm. Pharmacists know these things and know that patient recovery is as important as the drugs used. Working with the general hospital years back I knew that cellulitis was best treated with the cloxacillin+a penicillin to cover staph and strept. I also know that tigercycline, vancomycin or linezolid could be used for MRSA's, however wen suppurative cellulitis struck, our hands were tied and we had to make use with other available alternatives. However, pharmacists know they play a vital role in patient care, and actually can help or mar a doctor's sincere effort.

Where is Annie Pharmacy in Lagos?[/quote]