Women Storm Lagos Assembly Over Deaths Of Pregnant Women In Lagos Hospitals (Photos)

The Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre, WARDC, on Monday stormed the Lagos State House of Assembly demanding for a probe into the 26 October incident at the Rauf/Aregbesola Health Centre in Mosan Okunola Local Council Development Area, Alimosho area of the state that led to the death of a woman after child bearing. The late Mrs. Omowunmi Shonuga, who was rushed at 5am to the hospital during labour but met a locked gate and obstinate health workers, who refused to admit her. Confirming the incident on behalf of the group, its director, Dr. Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi, said the woman arrived at the hospital, where she had registered for antenatal care at 5am, but met the gates locked and without any medical attention, she gave birth in the car. It was after she gave birth in the car that the much-needed medical attention came, but at this stage, she had lost a lot of blood. “She was later referred to the Igando General Hospital, but encountered delays as no ambulance was available to transfer her and on arrival at Igando no bed space was available to admit her,” she said. The group also recalled how Mrs. Obinna Nnanna died at the Lagos State General Hospital, Gbagada, after giving birth to triplets on 23 September, 2015. In another incident also, this time, at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, the protesters said in the petition that Mrs. Oduyoye Folake died after she was detained for three months for failure to pay her hospital bills. The protesters said further that there were several reports of people being denied access to medical attention in hospitals in the state for failure to bring their spouses for compulsory blood donation.

In response, the Speaker Mudashiru Obasa, while sympathising with the families of the women who lost their lives during childbirth in the hospitals in the state, said the House would invite the accused hospital in Alimosho, as well as the Executive Secretary of the Mosan Okunola LCDA over the issue. “We will critically look at the one that happened at Rauf Aregbesola Health Care Centre, but LUTH is not under our jurisdiction. That does not mean that we do not have the right to protect the lives of the people of the state. We will write to the hospital and hear from them too,” the Speaker said. “Those who are there are being paid from tax payers’ money. So, we have to do something about it, which is why we are here. We are representing your interest and we will continue to do that. We will look at the petition and invite the necessary people from the concerned hospitals and your representatives so that we can get to the root of the matter and bring maternal mortality to an end,” he explained.