Hospital negligence

I’ve just read about how a certain man in Nigeria lost his wife (Post-op) due to nothing but the hospital’s negligence. From forgetting to insert the drainage bag to ignoring multiple dire calls for help from the nurses that ignored him, to the lack of enough oxygen units, to not having the right equipment that would have done the least in the last hours of her life. His wife bled (for close to 10 hours) to dēath.

I’ve checked the man’s profile to prove the ownership of the story, and I found a post in which he shared about someone who tried to discredit his ordeal, commenting, “to every story told there’s an untold story” or something along those lines. The bereaved responded, “May what happened to my wife happen to your wife or sister.”

***

In January, while in hospital for Mom’s surgery, Mom’s oxygen levels dropped so low on the same day I asked about the right oxygen levels someone is supposed to have. I asked because that was her first day for Physiotherapy, but the physiotherapist said that he couldn’t move her so far away from the bed, citing that her oxygen levels were low. He offered to show me the difference between Mom’s and I. When the monitor was placed on my finger, I got a clear understanding of what normal oxygen levels should look like, especially for my age.

He said the most dangerous would be for her levels to get to 60. Unbeknownst to me, this was going to happen a few hours from then. To drop even lower than 60. I never got the chance to ask about the impact of low oxygen levels. All I took with me was that it is dangerous.

My cousin had just brought Mom’s lunch. I zoomed right past him to find someone to call. I feared I could be overreacting so I peeped back into the room and l think the last number I saw on the monitor was 58.

I ran to the nurse’s station. I never found a familiar face. I had doubts. I stuttered but managed to say whatever I said, and the nurse came hurriedly. I think we found a 40-something. He got the oxygen mask on and doubled the previous dosage. I wanted to tell him that the previous one was somewhere else because I feared he might make a mistake, but I also didn’t know much. Mom’s numbers went up. Of course, they oscillated the whole day, but at least the oxygen was right beside her bed.

Even with the fear that I would look like a nagging hospital attendant, I walked to the nurse’s station as many times as I had to, to ask all the questions I had to ask and at all times, I am glad there was someone to help. On some days/nights I had to wait but they still came.

The only time there seemed to be a lax, there were administrative numbers glued on every room door. I called. Someone came, and the issue was fixed. A couple of people weren’t pleased, but my patient was helped.

***

I have heard of negligence in our hospitals. I have heard of negligence in African medical care. People lose their lives to negligence in the confines of places where they went to seek life.  There is no way someone can sit on a high horse and dismiss a story that has someone who was left to bleed for close to 10 hours.

You don’t have to wait for misfortune to hit home in order to extend empathy.

*Picture taken shortly after Mom was wheeled out of the theater.