Medical Doctors suspended over baby’s death

The Medical and Dental Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal has found two doctors, Iyoha Joseph and Mukaila Oyewumi Oladipo, guilty of negligence in the management of a late baby, Oluwole Johnson Peace.

In a seven-count charge, the Tribunal noted the doctors were manifestly incompetent in the management of the three-month-old baby and failed to do all appropriate and reasonable for the treatment of the patient.

Chairman of the Tribunal, Prof. Abba Waziri, noted that Dr. Joseph, who was found guilty of three- count charge, did not exhibit reasonable diligence when 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.

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

The Tribunal sentenced Dr. Mukaila Oyewumi Oladipo to three- month suspension while Dr. Iyoha Joseph was convicted and admonished.

The third doctor, Obafemi Kuye, who was charged with professional negligence for failure 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.

According to the Tribunal: “He took 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 one-count charge of infamous conduct in a professional respect with regards to the management of Mrs. Sherifat Bola Shehu.

It said: “It is our view that the Respondent doctor did not act in a manner which falls short of the standard of a reasonable skillful medical practitioner. He is not deserving of any censure by the Tribunal.”

Dr. Shehu Abdullahi Muhammed was cleared of all the five-count charge of negligence preferred against him in the management of one late Mrs. Maijidda Aminu.

The Tribunal struck out the five count charges and discharged him.

The Tribunal also declared Dr. Rasaq Akintunde Akindele, not guilty of the three-count charges against him in the management of one Mrs. Chidinma Gbenro.