Close substandard private hospitals, Kaduna residents cry out

Residents of Kaduna State have called on the state government to look into the activities of private hospitals with a view to clamping down on those that are sub-standard.

They lament that many of the cases of death in some private hospitals, are caused by the negligence and nonchalant attitude of some medical and health workers.

They also alleged that some doctors are in the habit of referring patients from public hospitals to their private hospitals for ‘selfish interest’.

“Some of the private hospitals lack equipment for handling difficult cases, yet doctors lure patients to patronise them. We have had cases where doctors and health workers abandon their places of primary assignment in public hospitals for their private hospitals or chemists,” Rahila resident said.

Mrs Zainab Musa, another resident said she lost her first and second babies in one of the private hospitals in Kaduna.

Narrating her ordeal, she said: “Having lost my first baby in the process of delivery, the doctor advised in my file that I should be given special attention next time. When I became pregnant the second time after about four years, the doctor again having known my history noted on my file that a doctor must be on ground on my day of delivery.

“When labour started and I was taken to the hospital, the baby was not forthcoming and I was in severe pain. My husband told one of the nurses attending to me to please invite the doctor but instead of calling the doctor, she became unnecessarily agitated and asked if my husband was insinuating that she was not competent enough to attend to Ibrahim, a me.

“At the end, I ran out of strength and could not push any longer. It was then that reality dawned on her and she alerted a doctor. Eventually, I lost the baby and it also took God’s help for me to survive.”

Salisu Ibrahim (not real name) said he lost his wife during childbirth in a private hospital.

“My wife was scheduled for caesarean section in a private hospital. After the operation, she was wheeled to the ward, and the health worker told her younger sister who was with her to monitor a machine that was connected to her in case it starts giving signal. Perhaps the machine started giving signal and the sister did not notice, eventually my wife died.

“My problem is, how can a hospital ask my wife’s sister who is not a health worker to monitor a medical equipment attached to someone battling for his or her life? It is quite disheartening because that is what we see in today’s hospitals, after paying huge sums of money,” he lamented.

Mr. Benson Samuel, another resident said in one particular case a pregnant woman in labour was rushed to a private hospital, her condition became critical and she needed to be operated upon but the operation could not commence because there was no catheter.

“Before workers of the hospital could run round to buy one, she had died. Some of the deaths recorded in hospitals can be prevented if those involved take their work seriously,” he said.

The residents said it was necessary for the Kaduna State government to act now by beaming its searchlight on the operations of private hospitals in the state with a view to closing down those that are not capable of rendering health services.