A suggestion!

Is there no way you could get this published in one of the Dailies. I'd suggest you send your story to The PUNCH Newspaper or probably visit their head office, as this might raise more helping hands to fight the battle against such negligence!!! Getting the Press involve might help alot. . . . Or what do you think?.

All the best.

wow this is so touching, may her soul rest with the Lord.Amen. Take heart n send my condolence and regards to ur mum.

@Poster

I lost a younger sister in the past, therefore I know how it feels. Please give my condolence to everyone in your family, May the good Lord comfort and sustain you during this trying period. Amen.

May her soul rest in peace.Amen

webmaster,

i think i agree with you.maybe if i had made a move then,your sisters death could have been prevented.But its better late than never,maybe its time we got together and form an association with a voice to speak,by doing so we might be helping someone fall prey to this unprofessionals

Don't worry,with time you will regain your lost appetite and life will return to normal,although there would be days when you think you heard her talk or you swear you saw her walk into her room.But by and large,time would heal the pain.You guys should remain strong and united especially for your folks.

Let me know when you are ready to talk,we can definitely come up with something.

@WEBJUNIOR
Sorry to hear about you loss bro. THE GOOD DIE YOUNG ! Your sister is in a better place now, where there is no pain or sorrow. Take heart bro' and may God bless you !

@poster
I hope you are hanging in there.

There is no family in naija that has not surffered an unnecessary death within the past few years.

When we criticize naija, we usually do so from both personal and public experiences such as yours.

We crtitcize the practice of medicine, law, engineering, poltics, etc as a way of highlighting the need for improvement.

Unfortunately, for your small sister, my elder sister, my father, and uncle who were lost to preventable deaths in naija, improvement may be too late, but as far as we are here to remember them, maybe it's not really too late.

I feel your pain.

webking sorry about your loss.even though i'm a med doctor i can't really comment on how well or otherwise they handled your sister's case as i'm not privy to the full info like the consent that was explained to u people prior to treatment,the prognosis and all that kind of stuff.no doubt there are some incompetent doctors in nigeria and also the world over.but i completely disagree with davidylan equating nigerian doctors to american nurses,or that we are not taught well in school.thats pure ignorance and he'd know better than most of us how well nigerian doctors are performing in the states.for your info most of those doctors had their med education in nigeria,and the only exam we've 2 do 2 work as docs in the states is the same that the american medical graduate,the canadian,the brit,the indian doc etc takes as well.
the biggest problem facing medical practice in Nigeria is that the regulating body is toothless.until they start holding doctors accountable we will cont 2 face this kind of problems.it'll take time i can assure u but they need 2 start now.the days were doctors played God is long gone in the west but its still the order of the day in Nigeria.i work in ireland and it amazes me the rights that patients and their families have,but once evrybody understands their roles and realises that ultimately they are all in it for the good of the patient,it works out fine!!

@poster
I feel your pain. My brother was snatched from us by cancer he was a medical doctor (ironic huh?)
he was treated in nigeria by what was supposed to be the best doctors. with hindsight we should have insisted on treatment abroad. Nigeria's medical system leaves a lot to be desired. seriously the doctors may know what to do but the facilities are rubbish.

To Spoilt, sorry about your brother. You see, I never doubt we have good doctors in Nigeria, but this is not my point. Reading from this forum, many points had been raised. For example, what right has any doctor had to play God?. In your brother's case the acting doctors may be really good, but in this case they are not.

But the fact remains that there are lesser good doctors in Nigeria, where it should be other way round. In my sister's case, there was no complication, they diagnosed Kidney Cancer, they removed it, about 2 weeks after operation, they called us for radiotherapy treatment,  then about 3.5 wks into radiotherapy treatment, she died. They now told us that she was actually killed of their radiotherapy treatment.

So does that really mean I can't go to a local hospital for a treatment without actually been killed of the treatment that is meant to heal me.?

You have got a very big case, get a good lawyer for the following reasons

1. a hospital cant refuse an ER case, they have to at least stabilize the patient before transfer.

2. the nurse that told u thta "she will not make it", should loss her license, that uterance is unprofessional

3. get a personal physician to help u out

4. medical records werent provided, suspicion of foul play

5. ridiculous, paracetamol for cancer treatment?
Medical practise in nigeria are not well guided by law, so its gonna be hard to pursue this case to a reasonaboe conclusion.The above reasons are based on my experience as a nurse and the medical laws in the usa,

@ poster
Accept my deep sympathy, may God in his infinite mercy grant you the fortitude to bear the loss. Actually I'm not a lawyer but one in the making, I want to let you know that you have a good case at hand. I dnt need to tell you that THE NIGERIAN FACTOR has bastardised virtually everything in this country,even our criminal justice system needs citical review. For you to pursue your case to a logical conclusion, I want you to have this at the back of your mind. Get all the material facts like the receipts issued by the hospital before and after the death of your sista, hospital bills, prescription lists{ thats very fundamental},competent witnesses who are willing to testify and some other necessary document the court may require you to proove your case beyond reasonable doubt. However I presume you are also aware of the fact that you need the services of a good and brilliant lawyer prefferably a senior one @ the bar. I say this because cases of Negligence do not really have much Nigerian precedents to rely on due to the fact that most of them are not pursued to logical conclusion-litigants withdraw there case on sentiments basis.The courts rely largely on foreign authorities. I personally would want you to pursue this case and don't let those who belong to the LET-GOD-TAKE-CONTROL school of thougth dissuade you. Perhaps your case could set a good precedent if determined appropiately. I wish you the very best.

@webjunior
chemotherapy is a gamble.
It works for some and it doesnt work for others. Its a very agressive treatment that makes your hair fall out, your skin flake and peel. It may or may not kill those cancer cells. Its not guaranteed that after your chemo treatments you will recover. Its a big gamble to take. But its even more foolhardy to refuse the chemotherapy. Either the cancer takes you or the chemotherapy does. In my brothers case chemotherapy didnt do it.
I dont blame anyone.The doctors did the best they could under the circumstances with what they had available. ive counted my losses and tried to move on with my life. The pain never really goes away, time just makes it a little more bearable.
Im sorry about your baby sis. Kpele!

Chemotherapy is useless if the cancer has already metastasized. By then its a matter of just waiting to die.
Its more likely WebJunior's sister died of kidney failure taking into account her symptoms.

Very Inportant
Some people are actually missing Radiotherapy to Chemotherapy Treatment, this is wrong and is misinformation

Radiotherapy is a treatment of disease with radiation, especially by selective irradiation with x-rays or other ionizing radiation and by ingestion of radioisotopes.
Chemotherapy is the treatment of disease using chemical agents or drugs that are selectively toxic to the causative agent of the disease, such as a virus, bacterium, or other microorganism.

In my sister's case it's radiotherapy. She was over treated, had it been it was drugs that was given to her, we would have said she was killed of over dose. After her death, eko hospital admitted, "Madam, we are sorry for the death of your daughter, if we'd known, we would have stopped the treatment weeks earlier."

And guess what people, eko hospital had just got this new radiotherapy device, that thing like a big scanning machine. They prescribed 6 minutes per day, monday to friday radiotherapy treatment for 4 weeks for my sister. When we complained that the treatment seem to be killing my sister, they said " she is young and has got the energy to cope and edure the after effect of the treatment, hence they said all we needed was paracetamol for pain relief.

Now that my sister is dead, the do not prescribe that long durarion of the treatment to other patients. They have reduced this to 1 and 2 weeks intervals.

They gave many excuses, one of them was, "the radiotherapy mechine they've just got is more powerful than the old one, but we did not realise this until now". I wonder, how many lives will be lost due to the negligence of the people that are meant to save those lives.

ok.
you can take legal action. There was certainly negligence. You may choose to walk that costly, never ending road of the legal jungle or let go and mourn quietly. some times hospitals need to suffer a financial pay out to a victims family in order to learn that life is precious. Whatever the family decides to do, may God be with you.

Webjunior, radiotherapy as far as i know does not kill that fast. If not those of us who have been exposed to radiation would all be dead now.
Was your sister checked for renal failure?
Loss of weight, vomitting, diarrhoea, eventually falling into a coma from which she died - I would have gone for blood tests to look at the function of her other kidney.

@ Davidylan, hi, based responses like yours "radiotherapy as far as i know does not kill that fast", how do we know she was actually dead when they told us she was dead? that, we do not know, but we know one thing for sure, in the car she mumbled something before her pulse was checked, then the next minute they said she was dead. Something is not right about how she was treated right from the begining.

Like some people say, her illness may be far more advanced than kidney cancer, but again due to certain reasons they gave us, we believed she had kidney cancer. But for the fact that the hospital told us that "SHE WILL NOT DIE" and life ending like this for the poor little girl make you realise that eko hospital is loosing the plot itself.

Again, I want you guys to know that this is not about REVENGE or something, but it's about JUSTICE. Like other people say in this forum, patients in other countries
are well taken care of, regardless of status in that country, why can't we be like that?

Some people can travel to another country for treatment, fine, but what happen to those of us that cannot travelout due to financial constraint?

pele webjunior, it was a case of negligence as others have rightly pointed out. Perhaps she simply went into a coma and they thought she was dead. Did they try to resuscitate her without success?

I've had very close family members who were successfully treated for cancer in Nigeria and are doing very well today so its not all hopeless. The key is to catch it early and go to a hospital where you are likely to recieve the best available care. UCH is probably my choice of hospitals to go. Eko hospital is so so.

Please accept my condolence over the sad loss

him webjunior, i sympathise with your family over the bereavement. God will grant you the fortitude to bear the loss in Jesus name. Nigerian hospitals are terrible. I had an experience with them in July when my mum was hit by an okadad driver. Before she was attended to at UCH, ibadan, we waited from 10 am in the morning till around 9.30 pm before she was attened to,despite the fact that she had a fracture and was bleeding. Thank God she was taken to a private hospital for first aid before going to Uch, if not i might be saying something differnt today.

web junior, please accept my profound sympathy for the loss and the pain you feel right now.
i am a lawyer and the law is all about right and wrong.
if there is a wrong, the law makes it right.
believe me our high courts in lagos are doing great right now, if you get a very good lawyer, you would be through with the case in a year or two.

but first i would like you to know that the courts work with evidence and not facts.
all you have said are facts, they would not get you justice cause the other side is going to come up with their own facts and believe me, it would also sound true and convincing, in the long run, it is your evidence or witnesses that would make the difference.

it would be more painful if you go to court and lose the case because of inability to provide evidence to support your case.

my advise -
1. you should stop talking and act fast. the hopital may also be guilty of the criminal act of manslaughter and not just negligence.
2. talk exensively with a medical practitioner who has not been involved in this case. he would help you with the relevant evidence you need.
3. talk to a lawyer. you may proceed to the office of the public defender or to any reputable law firm, they can take up your matter pro bono i.e free of charge.
4. the remedy you would get in court is monetary. people may say you are doing it for the money, but i'll say do it anyway, it doesn't really matter. things like this should be stopped and it starts right here, right now.

best of luck my brother and please above all, stay alive for your mum, pray hard. the ultimate thing in life is to know God. he alone will give you peace of mind.

Hello d-thing,

Do u mind dropping me a line via s.olayoriatgmaildotcom please?, alternatively you can add me to your yahoo messenger if you have one and thanks for your advice. I hope to speak to you soon.

Regards

Naijaking,
please do accept my belated condolence.please try and be strong for ur mum especially.we are all really sorry for this and pray that God will give you and ur family to bear this great loss.Amen.

I AM SO UPSET WITH THE MANNER OF CARE SHOWN BY SOME MEDICAL WORKERS,INCLUDING SO CALLED DOCTORS,NURSES AND STAFFS.I LOST A BROTHER LAST YEAR APRIL TO ALMOST THE SAME FATE.I HAD T CARRY HIM A HEALTHY 26YRS OLD WITH A RIGHT FUTURE AHEAD AND I CRIED AROUDN 11PM SAME DAY.AFTER ALL THE STUPID DRIP WE HAD TO BUY,STUPID TESTS UPON TEST RU ON HIM LIE HE WAS A GUINEA PIG,THEY ARE GUINEA PIGS.I CRIED AND ASKED IF EH WAS GOING TO SURVIVE DUE TO THE PAINS HE WAS FEELING,I FELT IT MYSELF BECAUSE I LOVED HI MORE THAN ANYTHING,WE SHARE CLOTHES,SHOWS,DID THINGS FOR EACH OTHER EVEN IF WE QUARELLED BUT LOVE ALWAYS BROUGHT US BACK.I WANT TO ASK ,WHY CANT PEOPLE IN THIS FIELD BE TAUGHT SOMETHING ABOUT SAVING A LIFE EVEN ,AMERICANS WIL DO EVERYTHING TO SAVE THEIR OWN BROTHER' LIVES BUT HERE IT IS ALL ABOUT MONEY THEY AHVE TO MAKE FOR THE HOSPITALS.

I WISH I WAS A DOCTOR I WOULD SACK ANY STAFF CAUGHT WANTING OR REFUSING A PATIENT FOR SOME STUPID DEPOSIT FIRST WHEN THE PATIENT IS DYING AND REQUIRING CARE.I MISS MY BROTHER AND ALWAYS REMEMBER THE DAY HE DIED AND HOW I TOUCHED HIS LIFELESS BODY .I STILL CONSOLE MY MUM BECAUSE SHE TOLD ME THERE THAT NIGHT THAT 'EMEKA' YOU HAVE LOST YOUR BEST PARTNER ,WHO DO YU SHARE CLOTHES WITH NOW?OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GOD WILL GIVE YOU THE HEART AND STRENGTH TO BEAR THE LOSS AND PLEASE HOLD YUR FAMILY AS WELL. I STILL HIDE AND CRY SO MY MUM DOESNT NOTICE ,

TAKE CARE,

OMG!!!! this is so sad. Pls accept my condolence my dear broda.
For how long shall we continue like this? I lost a dear friend when we were in high school. D doctor told d family she had appendicitis and performed d sugery on her. After d surgery, they said oh no its not appendicitis. To cut d long story short, she later died of infection 2 or 3 days later. We almost lost my cousin too. She was complaining of stomach pain so at d hospital, d doctor told her dad that she aborted a pregnancy. Her dad was upset but she kept sayn she didnt abort. We took her to another hospital where they diagnosed appendicits and operated it immediately. D doctor told us we were so lucky it didn't rupture b4 we got there. Thank God she's alive today.
This is really getting out of hand in Naija these days. I agree with pple that advised webking to take up d matter. Pls do, if u can. I pray that God will comfort you and ur family.

I was crying when i was reading your story. May the good Lord console you and the rest of the family. Take heart and be strong. I've had my share of negligence of a Nigeria hospital as well, but what is government are doing about what is happening, most especially in in EKO HOSPITAL? or what they want is that we must show them to court before the will talk about all this, is getting too much, if all those people there are not good they should replace them with some other people that are capable to do. Most of time if patient are souting in the world they will not do as if they hear any thing why? they should know that we are not chicken, but if anyone of them ill they will be running up and down.

So please my guy take heart, I pray that God will judge them.

I promised to get back with you after about 2 weeks, so that you and your family will time to ruminate about your lose.

Also, I see so many advice about whether to sue or not sue the hospital.

Whatever you decide, I recommend that you take time to read about Kidney cancer so that you can personally get a better grasp of what went on.

I post you a link from my former hospital about the disease.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/kidney-cancer/DS00360

Hey dear, so sorry to read this story, may God give you and your family the fortitude to bear the loss, just think of her with fondness, knowing she is at the lord’s bosom, were she’l be cushioned out of the evil of this world, where there is no pain, tears or sorrow, only everlasting joy and completeness.
You people should also live your lives well, so you’l meet at the lord’s bosom to part no more.
God be with you and ur mum

REALLY MUST START BY CONSOLING U AND UR FAMILY.IT IS REALLY A TRAGIC LOST.MAY GOD GRANT U THE FORTITUDE TO BEAR THE LOSS.
SO PAINFUL TO LOSS CLOSE ONE MOST ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY HAVE A LONG AND BRIGHT FUTURE AHEAD OF THEM

CERTAINLY U HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO FEEL THE WAY U FELT.

BUT I THINK ALL OF US MUST REFLECT MOST ESPESIALLY WE THE CONTRIBUTORS.MANY HAVE BEHAVED LIKE TYPICAL BLACKS MANY ARE.OR HOW WOULD ONE DESCRIBE IT.THE GUY AND HIS FAMILY NEED SOUND OPINIONS AND ADVICES MANY WERE JUST WRITING IGNORANT LINES.

(1)IS DRE NO ROOM FOR US TO DO ALITTLE RESEARCH ABOUT CANCERS,IF NOT ALL CANCERS AT LEAST KIDNEY CANCER.DRE WAS ONLY 2 POSTS OR DRE ABOUT OF A GOOD REFERENCE.HOW MANY READ IT IF THEY DID, IT DIDNT SHOW.
IN MANY POSTINGS.

(2)ABOUT SEEING STUDENT DOCTOR IN EKO HOSPITAL,I DOUT IT.YOUNGISH FACE DOES NOT TRANSLATE TO STUDENTSHIP.

(3)DO YOU KOW THE MOST DISCIPLINE PROFESSION IN NIGERIA IS STILL MEDICINE.IT IS NOT ONLY LAW COURT NEGLIGENCE CASES ARE HANDLED IN NIGERIA

(4)DO YOU KNOW IN US AND EUROPE ,HEALTH SECTOR IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST INDUSTRY.AND IT COST A LOT OF MONEY
BUT U WILL NOT APPRECIATE THIS BECAUSE OF HEALTH INSURANCE WHICH IS CONTRIBUTORY IN MANY INSTANCE TAKE CARE OF THE BILLS.IF U RECEIVE WAT APPEARS FREE TREATMENT SOME ONE MUST HAVE PAID FOR IT-UR SELF AND YOUR EMPLOYER,U ALONE OR GOVERNMENT FOR THE POOR AND INDIGENT
IN NIGERIA ,CHECK OUT THOSE ON NHIS OR THOSE WHOSE WORK PLACE HAVE GOOD RETAINERSHIP WITH A PRACTITIONER,

(5)KNOW IF A GOOD DOCTOR ASK FOR DEPOSIT HE IS NOT AFTER YOU MONEY.IT SOUNDS STUPID.BUT PAY ATTENTION.REMEMBER THE DOCTOR IS NOT A SPIRITUALIST THAT WAT HE WOULD USE TO TREAT U IS INCATATIONS AND MANTRA.MANY TIMES HE NEED TINS TAT THAT WOULD COST MONEY.WHICH THE PERSON SELLING THING LIKE IV FLUID ,IV CANULA ETC NEEDED MANY TIMES IN CRICALLY ILL PERSON WOULD NEVER BE GOTTEN FOR FREE.LABORATORY CONSUMABLES ARE NOT FREE.DRUGS ARE NOT FREE.IF HEALTH IS CHEAP WHY CANT MANY PRIVATE PRACTITIONER BRING IN THOSE LASTEST EQUIPMENTS.IN ADDITION MANY HEALTH WORKERS


(6)I THINK WE SHOULD GIVE THE HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME IN NIGERIA SOME CREDIT ,THEY HAVE THEIR SHORT COMINGS BUT IF IT IS NOT WORKING FOR U CHECK YOUR SELF,A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS TRY TO CHEAT OF BEAT THE SYSTEM.OR THEY JUST BASK IN THEIR IGNORANCE

(7)DO U KNOW WHY HEALTH PRACTITIONER DONT GET UNNECESSARY EMOTIONALLY COMMITED TO THE PATIENTS?IT IS DANGEROUS.FOOD FOR THOT-IT IS UNETHICAL FOR DOCTORS TO TREAT SERIOUS AILMENT OF THEM SELF OR THEIR FAMILY MEMBER

(DO YOU KOW THERE ARE ABOUT 29000,NIGERIA DOCTORS ABROAD AND MANY OF THEM HAD UNDERGRAD TRAININ IN NIGERIA
ONES AGAIN I CONSOLE WITH U

sorry about all this
it's really sad, VERY sad, especially when it is avoidable
but there's really nothing one can do about it.
of u really think it's negligence, (and you in the Nigerian legal system, which i dont)
you can sue.
but mind you it can take years, if it ever ends.
and the memory will remain fresh and renewed often
and can be worse if you eventually loose (that's Nigeria)

i would rather say we all shd face the future and put the past behind us
especially for mumsie.

may God continue to give you guys the strenght to bear the loss.

involving the press might help out a little,
at least reduce the customer strenght of such hospitals
then it might have a better impact

but "law court"!!!
o boy you need to be powerful to win such a case.

well maybe if you combine the two sha
court + enough "press noise"
even if they win (which is most probable in Nigeria)
some seeingly prospective patients will have a rethink