PUNCH
Overnight, Kelion Nwoha-Mba’s world was shattered when his wife tragically passed away in a government-owned hospital in Lagos during childbirth due to alleged medical negligence. The grieving father of three, recounting what transpired in this interview with Muhammed Lawal, claims his wife’s fibroid and womb were removed without his consent
You recently lost your wife due to alleged medical negligence. What really happened?
“I am from Imo State, and I married my wife, Fiona, seven years ago. We have three children: two boys and one girl. Fiona was 35 years old at the time of the incident.
On October 29, 2024, Fiona was scheduled for a caesarean section. We arrived at the hospital that morning, and it wasn’t an emergency. After the baby, a boy was delivered, the doctors informed me that they had removed fibroid from my wife.
They asked me to buy a container to take the fibroid home. That’s when the problems began.
I asked them, ‘Who authorised the removal of the fibroid?’ This concerned me because I had lost two cousins to complications from fibroid surgeries years ago, and just three months earlier, a close friend’s wife passed away following a similar procedure. My wife had fibroid even before the birth of our first child.
After the fibroid removal, the doctors brought Fiona out of the theatre.
I questioned how someone could undergo a fibroid operation without the necessary blood supply prepared to address potential complications.
I was told to get four pints of blood, and given that Fiona is O-negative, this became even more urgent.
I spent hours running around trying to find the blood. We managed to get it, but when they brought Fiona out after the surgery, her stomach started swelling. They rushed her back into the theatre, telling me once again to look for blood.
This time, I was told that since they had removed her womb, I could now bring in O-positive blood. I managed to secure it and brought it to them.
When they brought Fiona out after the second surgery, she was taken to the recovery room. She was put on oxygen and left to rest. But after almost five to six hours, she still hadn’t regained consciousness. She was only shaking and moving occasionally.
What was your reaction when you heard about her death?
I was there, watching everything, and I didn’t even know how to put it into words. How do you describe such a feeling? This wasn’t someone I just met two days ago; this was my wife, someone I had been married to for years. Recounting the story still gives me goosebumps. I can’t fully explain how I feel.
Were you informed before they removed her womb?
No, I wasn’t! They didn’t notify me before starting the fibroid operation. They only told me after it had been done and asked me to buy something like a container to store the fibroid and womb. I never saw either. It was the fibroid operation that triggered the emergency.
I was told she was bleeding internally, so they had to rush her back to the theatre to remove the womb. If they had informed me earlier, I would have told them to remove the womb during the first surgery. My wife already had three children; there was nothing else we were looking for. I wasn’t consulted at all.
Did you challenge them for not informing you about these surgeries?
Imagine hearing that someone you love is dead—what do you even begin to challenge? It felt like a movie, surreal and impossible to digest. I couldn’t wrap my head around it at the time. Later, as people started coming to show support, I began to explain what happened, and that’s when some clarity came.
But in those moments, I didn’t know how to react—whether to run, jump, or scream. I was just numb.
I was there when they tried to resuscitate her. The hospital staff worked on her for over 30 minutes, nearly an hour, but eventually, they told me she was gone.
When did your family start using the hospital’s services?
This was our first time to use the hospital. My other children were not born in Lagos.
How would you rate the hospital, considering this was your first time using their services?
People often say it’s one of the best hospitals around. We had been using another one, but my wife decided she wanted to switch to the Lagos Island Maternity Hospital. From what I saw, they seemed good—there was a decent relationship between the staff and patients. Personally and sincerely, I thought they were okay.
Are you planning to take legal action against them?
The truth is that taking legal action against the government or a hospital is not easy. However, I am willing to pursue charges because I believe it’s important to sensitise people and potentially save lives. That said, there are many hurdles involved, such as conducting an autopsy, which is not cheap, and preparing for years of court proceedings.
If I can find a good lawyer willing to take on the case pro bono, I would go ahead. Right now, my primary concern is raising my three children alone. I don’t know if I can afford to fund a legal case and still handle my responsibilities. If there’s support, I will push forward. But on my own, I’m not sure it’s something I can manage.
