By John Ogunsemore
The Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno, on Sunday commiserated with the family of a young mother and new born who died after a caeserean birth at the General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene.
This is contained in a statement signed by Commissioner for Health in the state, Dr. Ekem John.
The plight of the young woman, whose identity remains unknown, came to the fore in a video that circulated on social media on Saturday.
In the video sighted on Facebook, a weeping woman, who claimed to be the deceased’s sister, berated the hospital over alleged negligence.
She alleged there were no doctors and the theatre was unopened for over three hours as her sister suffered labour pains.
She further stated that doctors later arrived when it was already too late, calling on Governor Eno to probe the incident.
In Sunday’s statement, the commissioner disclosed that the governor directed him to immediately set up a high-powered commission of inquiry comprising medical and legal experts to establish the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident and recommend measures to prevent future occurrences.
In line with this directive, the commissioner disclosed that he led a team from the Ministry of Health to the hospital at 12:10 a.m on Sunday “for an on-the-spot preliminary inquiry and to obtain firsthand accounts from relevant stakeholders”.
John said the Eno-led administration in the state remains deeply committed to safeguarding the lives of mothers and children.
This, he said, led the governor to earlier declare a statewide fight against maternal mortality as a core priority of his administration.
The statement further reads, “Over the past months, the governor has consistently demonstrated this commitment through sustained investments in healthcare infrastructure, recruitment of skilled personnel, and strengthening of emergency response systems.
“The Ministry of Health assures the public that the outcome of this review will be handled with full transparency and that any verified cases of negligence will attract appropriate sanctions in line with civil service and professional regulations.
“We appeal for calm and understanding from the public as the government works diligently to uncover the facts and take decisive steps to further strengthen maternal and child health in Akwa Ibom State.
“The health and safety of every Akwa Ibomite remain the utmost priority of this administration.”
