Y'DE CENTRAL HOSP SCANDAL : LACK OF INCUBATORS CAUSE DEATH OF QUADRUPLETS ….FAMILY , HOSPITAL SPEAK

With concordant reports both from the family of Nkimih Alfred and sources close to officials at the Yaounde Central Hospital,there are indications that the lack or absence of incubators in the pediatric department of the health establishment, is the major cause of the death of the quintuplets (five fetuses) of Mrs Nkimih  Honorine , on March 22 2016.

MR & MRS NKIMIH: OTHER VICTIMS OF THE SITUATION

The Minister of Public Health has reportedly given the hospital  48 hours, for the management to explain what actually transpired.  Our emails to the Minister and his collaborators, requesting for clarifications have remained unanswered.

At the time of filling in this report,  there is still a heavy deployment of troops at the Yaounde Central Hospital to prevent any form of protest against what is being described as negligence on the part of the hospital and a failed health care system.

While waiting for government's own position vis-avis this scandal after the one at the Laquantinie hospital in Douala on  March 12, we were able to get some information on the tragedy.

          CHRONOLOGY OF HAPPENINGS : NKIMIH FAMILY’S VERSION

When her pregnancy was 3 months old, she did her prenatal consultations at the Baptist Hospital Etoug Ebe, where she was informed that she was carrying triplets. She was also advised she could put to birth through a surgical operation because of the delicate nature of her pregnancy .She was advised to continue consultation at the Yaounde Central hospital which was somewhat equipped.

Monday March 22: Mrs Nkimih Honorine books appointment with a gynecologist at the Yaounde Teaching Hospital, CUSS

INCUBATOR : URGENTLY NEEDED IN CAMEROON

Tuesday 22 March: She  was having  contractions and visited  the hospital for consultation . She is accompanied by her younger sister since her husband was not on seat. At CUSS she is examined by a medic who observed that she needed urgent medical attention. 

She is transferred to the Yaounde Central Hospital where Dr Fouedjio was on standby . At the maternity of the Yaounde Central Hospital, Mme Nkimih Honorine and her sister waited for almost an hour before they could be attended to.

Dr Fouedjio examined the pregnant woman and told her, that her cervix was open and that she has to put to birth without delay. When Mrs Nkimih said she was only six months pregnant and that she came to hospital with just her handbag, the Dr reportedly told her…” You are not the one to teach me my job.”. 

The Doctor decides to induce her with force labour. While the discussions were ongoing, Mrs Nkimihs’s sister was reportedly extorted some 15000 frs by nurses who claim her sister would need some drugs after delivery.

                NO INCUBATOR EVERYWHERE? 

The nurses also informed the sister that the maternity does not have incubators that Mrs Nkimih's sister would need after delivery. Nkimih’s sister was asked by the midwives and nurses to go and secure one at the nearby Chantal Biya Foundation. 

At Chantal Biya Foundation she is made to understand that there was only a single available incubator which could not immediately be given to her. On her return, the nurses advised her to continue the search for an incubator at the Bethesda Full Gospel Hospital (in the Bastos area) where none was available. She also went to the Yaounde Teaching Hospital where she again found none.

QUINTUPLETS ARE BORN

While the journey for an incubator was on, Mme Nkimih was having her babies in the maternity. Four premature babies were born. The fifth was stillbirth. Her hospital book signed by Dr  Fouedjio Florent gave the following characteristics of the babies.

 FACTS ON BABIES

Baby No	Sex	Weight	Observation
1	Fem	570 g	Alive at birth
2	Male	600g	Alive at birth
3	Male	600 g	Alive at birth
4	Male	700 g	Alive at birth
5	Unknown	Unknown	Still birth (Died)

The new born were put in a small open incubator-like 'basin' covered with black plastics bag. Mme Nkimih called the attention of the Doctor to inquire about the well being of her babies. She was told not to be a nuisance for he (the Doctor has done his part) “That the rest is not my responsibility,” the Doctor reportedly retorted.

At a certain moment the newborn were handed to Mrs Nkimih's sister. “Take them away and struggle by yourself to get an incubator,” the nurses are quoted as having said. “If you don’t want to take them we would give it as food to your sister,” the nurses reportedly added.

NKIMIH'S QUINTUPLETS

Within the context of all the in and out and to and fro movements in search of an incubator, all the children died . Madam Nkimih later saw her children as published in the photo (on the right), already dead.

March 22 – March Thurday 24

From Tuesday March 22 until Thursday March 24 2016, Mme Nkimih who was admitted said she received no visit or psychological comfort from the staff of the hospital. Not even the director of the hospital showed his face. 

The father of the children, Nkimih Alfred made vain efforts at meeting the director of the health establishment for explanations. The Social Affairs services did not reportedly bother to help. Mr Nkimih was instead told to be happy that his wife survived. The Nkimihs were forced to pay the sum of 33.000 Frs for the woman to be liberated from hospital.

                        CHRONOLOGY OF HAPPENINGS: HOSPITAL’S VERSION

What is being considered as Yaounde Central Hospital’s side of the story, is a publication by Dr Roger Etoa   whose  profile indicates that he works with the Ngoumou District Hospital in Yaounde. He said he spoke to the two gynecologists who were on duty at the time of the incident but decided not to publish their names for what he terms confidentiality.

Dr Roger Etoa admitted that Mrs Nkimih arrived for prenatal consultations and complained of having pelvic pains and contractions.After examining her, Doctors realized that her uterus was open.

The medic  said the pregnancy was only 20 weeks old.(normal pregnancy is 40 weeks according to Dr Etoa). He said the gynecologists confirmed that it was an inevitable delayed abortion and that the only way to save the situation was to induce labour and cause a forced delivery.

Dr ROGER ETOA : HEALTH SYSTEM CRUMBLING?

After the process it was discovered that she did not have quadruplets (four fetuses) but quintuplets (five fetuses). Dr Etoa said medics explained that the weight of the fetuses was between 300-450 grammes .In other words that the fetuses were of little vitality and could not survive.

Dr Roger Etoa attempts to explain that the Yaounde Central Hospital has a maternity but that premature babies are excellently taken care of, at the nearby Chantal Biya Foundation and that while waiting for an incubator premature babies are placed under a warm bulb for them to maintain a good temperature. That was done while the medics were also expecting to conduct a desperate reanimation. He added that the Nkimihs found an incubator but the children had been confirmed dead.

Dr Etoa said that below 500 grammes, there are no chances that the premature babies would survive and that they could survive if they were are at least 600 grammes each.

He said all was explained to  Mrs Nkimih and they were surprised to see the issue on social media. The medics at the Yaounde General hospital accuse the Nkimihs of trying to blame nurses and Doctors, a practice they claim was en vogue in Cameroon.

OBSERVATIONS

The observation from the two versions of this umpteenth scandal is that the absence of incubators caused the death of the premature quintuplets. Again it is curious that none of the medical officials bothered to go search for incubators. They turned  Mrs Nkimih’s to errand girl.Whose responsibility should that be? The family or the medical staff? The two versions of the same story clearly show that the Yaounde Central Hospital and the Chantal Biya Foundation as well as the other hospitals in Yaounde are in need of incubators.

DEATH TRAP LIKE LAQUINTINIE?

We must all note that it is written no where in the hospital book that the quadruplets  died before they were born. Madame Nkimih confirms seeing the babies alive and pleaded that an incubator be brought. 

If we may go by the weight of the babies in the hospital book and what the medics are trying to explain there is serious controversy. If we go by the weight in the hospital book and what Dr Etoa postulates there are indications that if there were incubators the babies would have certainly survived.

While waiting for another ‘version’ of this scandal from the Ministry of Public Health, what happened at Laquantinie and now at Yaounde Central Hospital is indicative of the fact that Cameroonian hospitals which ought to take care of patients are seriously sick.