NMA Warns Against Unfair Trial Of Members Over Mother, Child’s Death

The Akwa Ibom State branch of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has cautioned against rushing to conclusions over a recent maternal death at the General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene local government area of the State.

Disturbed by incessant cases of maternal and infants’ death in births’ complications, the NMA in the State had embarked on sensitisation programme to churches and other public places to enlighten pregnant women on pre-natal methodologies for safe delivery.

The Chairman of the State NMA, Dr. Aniekan Peter had disclosed at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) that medical professionals, despite poor welfare packages with zero morale, embarked on the enlightenment campaigns across the 31 LGAs, following rampant cases of maternal and infant deaths.

However, despite the action, the State has continued to grapple with such sad cases, the recent being that of Ikot Ekpene General Hospital, where call-duty doctors reportedly abandoned a woman in labour to bleed to death with her baby in the process of giving birth.

A viral video by the sister to the deceased had surfaced online soon after the sad incident, showing a woman in labour struggling alone to deliver herself of a newborn, sparking outrage in the State.

Consequently, Governor Umo Eno inaugurated a 14 – member panel of inquiry to unravel the immediate and remote circumstances surrounding the incident and recommend appropriate sanctions to those found culpable.

Although the Committee, chaired by the Provost, College of Health Sciences at the Niger Delta University (NDU), Israel Jeremiah, a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, summited its report on Friday, LEADERSHIP learnt the findings and recommendations remain to be unveiled by the governor.

The NMA has insisted that only the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) has the statutory power to adjudicate on cases of professional misconduct.

NMA’s Public Relations Officer (PRO) in the state, Dr. Gabriel Eyo, on behalf of the Association expressed deep concern over the incident, describing the sad incident as “one too many,” and extended the branch’s condolences to the bereaved family.

The NMA, however, commended Governor Eno for swiftly constituting the investigation committee to probe the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, and lauded the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John for inaugurating the team.

The Association noted that the inclusion of professionals from obstetrics, anaesthesiology, nursing, law, civil society, and administration provides “a solid foundation for a thorough, evidence-based, and credible investigation.”

However, it was gathered that the ongoing social media publications targeting specific doctors was concerning to the body, pointing out that “such actions not only expose medical professionals to unfair public attacks, but also inflict distress on their families and tarnish the image of the profession.”

“For clarity, the MDCN remains the only statutory body empowered to investigate and adjudicate allegations of professional misconduct. Until investigations are concluded, it is unjust to attribute blame or circulate names of Doctors on social media.

“The public should desist from spreading unverified information because such actions weaken morale in the health workforce and detract from the critical task of fact-finding and systemic improvement”, they warned.

Reiterating its commitment to safeguarding its members, the Association vowed to pursue legal and professional remedies against any attempt to defame or unjustly malign its members.

While pledging full cooperation with the State government’s investigative panel, the NMA however called for a holistic review of the incident covering clinical decisions, manpower adequacy, equipment functionality, and institutional readiness to ensure sustainable improvements in maternal healthcare delivery.