Tribunal sanctions doctors over three-month-old baby’s death

Two Doctors, Joseph Iyoha and Mukaila Oyewumi Oladipo are to serve some degrees of punishment for their negligence in causing the death of a three-month-old baby, Peace Johnson Oluwole.

The Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal said the doctors, who were arraigned on seven counts were manifestly incompetent in the management of the three-month-old baby and failed to do all that was appropriate and reasonable for the treatment of the patient.

The chairman of the Tribunal, Prof. Abba Waziri, in the verdict said Iyoha, who was found guilty of three counts, did not exhibit reasonable diligence.

The MDPDT said he prescribed and caused to be administered on the three-month-old baby, oral chloroquine, fansidar, and several other drugs, thereby exposing the baby to multiple anti-malarial when the baby had been placed on Artemether injection.

The MDPDT said Oladipo was found guilty of two-count charges because even though he found the patient to be asphyxiated and in obvious respiratory distress, he chose to busy himself with taking the patient’s history for more than 30 minutes rather than attend to the obvious emergency.

While Oladipo was sentenced to three-month suspension, Iyoha was convicted and admonished.

The third Doctor, Obafemi Kuye, who was charged with professional negligence for failing to take any detailed or adequate history of the patient’s condition and failure to review or attend to the patient throughout the period of admission, was discharged and acquitted.

The MDPDT said, “He took a salient and adequate history of the patient’s condition and made a note of them. The baby’s maternal history and post-delivery notes were all in the file. Dr. Obafemi Kuye should therefore be commended and not condemned for his competence and professionalism in this respect. He did no wrong. The Tribunal holds the considered view that he is not guilty on count 5.”

Also, Dr Agu Osundu Chukwuka, was discharged and acquitted on a charge of infamous conduct in professional respect with regards to the management of Sherifat Bola Shehu.