*As Public Defenders resolve allegation
By Nudoiba Ojen
The Management of Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado Ekiti has commended the Office of the Public Defender, Ekiti State for resolving amicably the issues raised by allegation of missing placenta.
The case was raised against against the hospital by a man, Mr Ojo Olaoluwa, who alleged that the placenta was missing after his wife was delivered of a set of twins.
A statement by the Head, EKSUTH Corporate Affairs, Mrs Rolake Adewumi, said that the hospital’s Chief Medical Director, Prof. Kayode Olabanji, hailed the OPD for professional handling and resolution of the matter.
Olabanji clarified, “The placenta in question was not missing, but was disposed according to the extant medical practice in all hospitals in case the father or a direct relative of the baby is not around to take the placenta immediately”.
The OPD Head, Bolanle Wale-Awe, alongside officials of the department, had during the sitting, after listening to the two sides, made official finding from independent medical expert outside Ekiti State which affirmed the position of EKSUTH as presented in the matter, as the practice in hospitals.
Consequently, the OPD resolved the matter amicably and parties were happy at the end of the resolution.
Shedding light, the Consultant in charge of the patient, Dr Idowu Adeojo, said that the unbooked patient was brought to the Hospital in critical condition after the delivery of one baby at home, but unable to bring out the placenta.
Adeojo said that the woman, after delivering of the first baby was thereafter taken to a Basic Health Center over the placenta and was referred from there to EKSUTH, saying it was in the Teaching Hospital that it was discovered that the problem was not just that of placenta, but a retained second twin.
The consultant said, “Efforts were made by all the medical personnel in the Maternity Department to ensure that the second baby was delivered successfully and as well save the life of the mother. Both the mother and the twin children are alive.
“Throughout the period, the father of the twins was unavailable until after 24 hours of the delivery of the baby. The Hospital could not keep the placenta any longer because of the dangers inherent in biological wastes, and putrefaction already setting in. It was therefore disposed accordingly”.
The father of the babies, Ojo, who confirmed that he was not around, said it was their neighbour that brought his wife to the Hospital.
Ojo said that when he asked of the placenta the following day, he was told it has been disposed off since he was not around, following which he had insisted that he wanted the placenta for fear of the safety of the babies.
