Nigerian Woman Reportedly Dies Days After Delta Hospital Doctors Left ‘Huge Cotton Wool’ Inside Her Belly During Surgery

A mother of three, Mrs. Anesther Egede, has reportedly died after doctors at the Delta State-owned Eku Baptist General Hospital in the Ethiope East Local Government Area of the state allegedly left ‘huge cotton wool’ inside her abdomen during surgery, SaharaReporters has learnt.

SaharaReporters gathered that Mrs. Egede was taken to the hospital by her husband, Godson Egede on April 12, 2023, for an appendectomy (surgical removal of the appendix) when the hospital doctors allegedly left ‘huge cotton wool’ inside her belly for over two weeks, which later led to several complications before she died on May 22, 2023.

It was learnt that the medical team that carried out the surgery was led by Dr Emmanuel Ebom and assisted by Dr Chianugor Uche and Dr Emeka.

SaharaReporters learnt from the bereaved family that to date, the hospital management had not shown any sign of remorse or concern over the untimely death of Mrs Egede.

A petition demanding justice for the deceased titled “Re: Alleged Gruesome Murder Of Mrs. Egede Anesther By Your Hospital”, and addressed to the Zonal Managing Director (MD) of Eku Baptist General Hospital, was signed on behalf of the husband of the deceased, Godson and her family by their counsel, Ngwu Paschal U. Esq. for Paschal and George Associates. The petition was copied to the Delta State governor; Inspector General of Police; Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Abuja; Minister, Federal Ministry of Health, Abuja; Chairman, Ethiope East Local Government Area, Delta State; National Human Rights Commission, Abuja and President, Nigeria Medical Association, (NMA) Abuja.

It reads, “We are Solicitors to the family of the late Mrs. Egede Anesther hereinafter referred to as our client on whose clear instruction we write you. Our client Mr. Godson Egede informed us and we verily believe him to be true the following facts that led to the death of his beloved wife: His wife Late Mrs. Anesther Egede was having pain in her abdomen whereof she was taken to Catholic Hospital Obiaruku, Delta State where she was admitted and scan of her abdomen duly recommended by the Hospital.

“That later the above-recommended scan was conducted on her, whereof it was discovered that she had appendicitis. That the appendicitis was not up to 7.6% as discovered and as such not up to the level for her to need the minor appendicitis operation.

“That she was discharged from the above written Catholic Hospital Obiaruku, Delta State after Two (2) days of admission, whereof the medical personnel who attended to her further told our client that the appendicitis was not ripe for operation and that same should be managed. When she got home, the pain persisted, whereof she was taken to Eku Baptist/General Hospital for further examination of the already established appendicitis. At the General Hospital, they met a medical doctor by the name of Dr. Ebom who once again directed that another scan be conducted on her. That the Medical Doctor Mr. Ebom, also recommended the Center (P.Wave Scan, Delta State) where the scan was conducted.

“After the scan, the result was given to Dr. Ebom who clearly stated that same did not show any major issue of appendicitis, but informed Mr. Godson Egede, our client, that on some rare occasions, appendicitis does not clearly show scan. Dr. Ebom later conducted further physical examination on Mrs. Anesther and opined that her appendicitis was due and directed that she and her husband, our client herein, return the next day for the surgical operation to remove the appendicitis. As instructed by Dr. Ebom, the following day, both Mr. Godson and Mrs. Anesther returned to the hospital where surgical operation was conducted on Mrs. Anesther for the removal of the appendix by a team of medical doctors headed by Dr. Ebom. That other medical doctors/practitioners involved in the operation are Dr. Emeka and Dr. Uche.

“That after the surgical operation the Head of the team Mr. Ebom informed our client, Mr. Godson Egede that his late wife was too fat and as a result of that, her intestines covered the appendicitis, further informing him that the appendicitis was not removed. He further stated that instead, the medical team re-arranged her intestines without more, explaining the issues as discovered by the team as attempted appendectomy. That after the operation, Mrs. Anesther was later wheeled to the private ward for close observation. At the ward, instead of her improving, she started rapid deterioration, as her abdomen began to swell, whereof she could not gas or stool for over fourteen consecutive (14) days.

“After a long while, she gassed and was discharged by the hospital not minding that her abdomen was still heavily swollen. That at home the pain in her abdomen became even more unbearable whereof she went for a check-up on the hospital’s clinic day and met a medical doctor on duty who insisted and recommended that MRI scan be conducted on her to clearly ascertain the position of the surgical operation conducted on her. The recommended MRI scan was later conducted on her at Lily Hospital in Benin City, Edo State and the result was shocking, to say the least. A copy of the MRI scan is herewith attached for your perusal.

“That the result of the MRI scan as analyzed by a plethora of specialists, showed that Dr. Ebom and his team left a huge cotton wool on Mrs. Anesther’s abdomen after the surgical operation, which has led to some complications. That one of the medical personnel who analyzed the MRI scan, the MD of Wema Clinic, who in the heat of the moment, informed our client, Mr. Godson that he was the former MD of Eku Baptist General Hospital where the operation was conducted and quickly called Eku Baptist General Hospital informing them of the fact that they left a huge cotton wool on late Mrs. Anesther’s abdomen.

“As such the MD of Eku Baptist General Hospital Dr. (Mrs.) Etaghena Harietta almost immediately placed a call to Mr. Godson pleading with him that his wife, Mrs. Anesther be returned to the hospital for another surgery to remove the cotton wool without any further charge(s). The MD of Eku Baptist General Hospital, Dr. (Mrs.) Etaghena Harietta also informed our client, Mr. Godson that she will personally invite another team of the best specialists available to conduct the operation to remove the cotton wool and clear up Mrs. Anesther’s abdomen and organs without any further charge(s). She further opined to our client that she has a problem with the available medical practitioners in the hospital due to the litany of complaints of forgotten medical instruments in patient’s abdomen after surgeries.

“That upon return to Eku Baptist General Hospital, Dr. (Mrs.) Etaghene, the MD thanked our client, and to our client’s amazement, the exact team that conducted the first operation quickly prepared and wheeled Mrs. Anesther to the surgical theatre where the final “operation” was ruthlessly conducted. That the team already in-waiting upon wheeling her into the operating theater, quickly cut open our client’s wife, Mrs. Anesther from two different sides and the middle of her abdomen as observed by Mr. Godson our client and shortly thereafter hurriedly wheeled out of the theatre. That the next day, stool, blood and fluids started gushing out from the various sections of her abdomen which thereafter led to her untimely death on May, 22, 2023.

“That the deduction from the later operation, as put by our client, Mr. Godson Egede was ‘just cut up my wife Mrs. Anesther and prepared her to die’. As a result of the deduction by our client, Mr. Godson, he immediately informed the MD of Eku Baptist General Hospital Dr. (Mrs.) Etaghene of the fact that he wants to take his wife to another hospital for further treatment, whereof the Hospital blatantly refused to release her and thereafter started threatening him, Egede, our client.”

Reacting separately when contacted over the allegations, the leader of the medical team that carried out the surgery on Mrs Egede, Dr Ebom, denied the allegations, saying, “The patient didn’t die in our hospital, she died at Oghara after about 12 days when she was out of our hospital. It’s quite unfortunate, there was nothing like a huge cotton wool that was forgotten in her abdomen. Those are unfounded allegations.”

On her part, a member of Ebom’s medical team, Dr. Chianugor Uche, said, “Please, I don’t know what you are talking about.”

Also reacting, the zonal medical director of the Eku Baptist General Hospital Eku, Henrietta Etaoghene, stated, “I am trying to get a balance on the story, but I cannot comment on the case because it’s before a law court of competent jurisdiction. However, thanks so much for reaching out to me, I appreciate this a lot.”