This pilgrimage validates my article titled “Rise in Negligence of Medical Practitioners in Nigeria Calls for Sanctions.” An article published in Page 7, Vol. No. 28439, December 8, 2024 in the Catholic Independent Newspaper.

I was among the team that hastily rushed to the General Hospital, 12 February 2025. My patient who was earlier displaying wired symptoms as though psychosis, in addition, had neither eaten nor slept for 4 days consecutively before she later injured her back skull very early that morning. The injury was a little deep and wide. This catalyzed our journey to the hospital. Referred from the Psychiatric Department to the Emergency section, we met a rigmarole. We were referred because she had cut, was pale and lacking strength. Visible swellings on the face.

“Good morning,” we greeted; trying to narrate our predicament. Wait, she responded; busy discussing with colleague in a very loud voice. A tone intensity I have never experienced of any Medical Practitioner. She is a young lady-doctor, about 32 years old. Hello oo! I repeated 10 minutes after while still standing in her presence without any attention. “I told you to wait, can’t you see I am busy attending to a patient?” I actually did not notice any physical status of a person attending to a patient. That was rude and lousy; but was her response after waiting for 10 minutes. ‘For an emergency.’ We were not pre-informed of reason to wait and for how long, and with the fact that she was busy gisting with nurses next to her on unrelated matters to the health of anyone in that venue.  However, that has been the manner by which she has been addressing everyone before our arrival. Evidence from others present and those who came after us. She is highly distracted by her own mind. Two minutes of note taking, five minutes of unrelated side discussion. She won’t cut the discussion till she is done and satisfied per topic of interest. Then she comes back to note taking.  It appears she was doing both the administration and patient favours because she is either over-reactive of being placed in control of a very important section of the hospital relative to her age and capacity, hence displaying an emperor-like authority outside profession; possibly enjoying that moment till there is a handing over.

She even praised herself for attending to three patients the whole day while her Senior colleagues only attended to their single reoccurring patient and departed. My patient can’t stand by herself without support at both sides. The environment has enjoyed her unintentional calmness getting to the hospital. Thank goodness, a nurse assisted her with a wheelchair 10 minutes later. Though she was stripped off that chair after seating for 5 minutes; the wheelchair was required for another patient. This time, a wooden chair was presented. We finally got her attention.

Another problem is the argument whether it was or was not an emergency situation and why those at the Psych department had to refer their patient to the emergency. No prior notification, no notes as the case may be. This argument took another 30 minutes. I later rushed back to inform the Psych department of our ordeal. They however requested we go back to the Emergency for them to do their job and then invite them later. “There is no bed and there is no way to even attend to her without bed”, she said. She presented an option to wait for bed, hence we were slotted as number 4 on list of people waiting for bed. Bed will not be available except a patient is discharged, died or displaced. It took her another 30 minutes to take record on the patient. As mentioned earlier, two minutes note taking, five minutes of side discussion, while the respondent must wait standing till she is satisfied.

A rowdy session ensued when her Senior colleague, ‘Oga’ later came around. She gave him update on situation report, but there was a lot for him to consume. He confirmed that there was nothing emergency in my patient and others referred from other departments of the hospital. According to him, they were calm, not displaying signs of threat, no visible blood, not requiring cardiopulmonary resuscitation etc. He then called those in charge, at the reference department as to why the patients were referred. He concluded that we must wait till the referrals are done attending to patient at their respective wards. This wait won’t be less than the evening. ‘For an emergency.’

It was three hours later when the ‘Oga’ came back for an update that he confirmed that my patient and another were truly an emergency patient. This period, he has taken time to listen as the lady-doctor has also taken time to explain what we have told her earlier.  The ‘Oga’ tried to exonerate himself by shifting blame of not been informed earlier.  I quickly referred him to his Subordinate who is quick to forget and never paid attention to details.  This is already over three hours after our arrival; ‘for an emergency.’

Finally, the procedure has to begin. The stitching of her head and Intravenous (IV) Fluid drip would later be administered to my patient while seated on the wooden chair despite not being able to seat straight by herself. Patients suffer at this stage. The Nurse inserted needle wrongly during the process of intravenous (IV) cannulation for fluid-drip therapy. An error which was detected 30 minutes after the needle had pierced the flesh, left unattended without any administration of fluid. Psychologically, I had noticed the error earlier during her piercing, she was unstable; but I decided not to claim all-knowing as the case may be - I actually could have done it better than her.

Apart from that, patients are made to just buy any prescription that pleases the practitioner; medication and consumables not required for the procedure. We have purchased so many consumables and medications which was never utilized at the end – no provision for return and refund. Each time a prescription is written, the arrogant lady-doctor would only remember that a prescription is missing after the prescribed was purchased; ‘from a long-distance trek.’ Patients and those assisting them had to bear the stress without complaint. Doctors are never remorseful for errors and negligence committed.

Another patient was referred from LAUTECH for dialysis, there was no bed. A nurse questioned why LAUTECH did not perform the dialysis. They probably forgot that the patient was not the CMD at LAUTECH. The patient was begging her for help. Unfortunately, he is the number five on the list of patients waiting for bed. The fan at some area where patients are receiving emergency treatments are not working. In fact, were removed. Family members kept blowing non-stop their loved ones on treatment, with hand fans.

Another patient was rushed in a 10-seater public bus, lying flat on the first seat behind the driver. They did not receive any attention. The bus was parked inside hot sun 1.35 pm. They were also told there was no bed. They were actually the sixth who would be on the queue for bed. The lady as arrogant as usual shouted at them that she could not do anything except there is an empty bed.  “We told Oga, he did not respond,” she said.  The bus drove away from the Emergency department few minutes after. I do not know where to. The lady reported that there was another person waiting outside since 8.am, he would be the next to get any available bed.

The seventh on the list of patients waiting for bed was rushed in, possibly from WESLEY, deeply unconscious but no action could be taken as usual. This made the family resorts to prayer while making contacts. About 30 minutes after, a senior boss came down to displace a patient which made the bed available to the patient that needed resuscitation. What about those who had no top officials to call?  Unfortunately, the call response time was too late despite the high ranked staff’s intervention. The patient died 7 minutes in the process of resuscitation. The deceased wife fainted immediately; family members shared tears in regret. They wished that they had received earlier attention.

Another was referred for dog bite, but it wasn’t an emergency, they said. Three days after, I heard a news of a patient who died of dog bite from a mother of an 8 years old child who had been made to run over 10 series of tests on her child, having complained of stigmatization from fellow pupil at his school. His leg was shaking. Close to a week, in the process of receiving attention, been discharged and rushed back to the hospital for ineffective treatment. A doctor who later attended to the child discovered there was no need for the cumbersome test done whose results were never checked. Just a single test done by the new doctor revealed that his immune system was low, hence treated for fear shock – after spending several thousand on unnecessary tests. Only a prescription of antibiotic drug was required. 

As the noisy and rude lady-doctor handed over duty later that evening, arguments ensued in the private room between her and her colleagues, she has been asked to always calm down. Her voice in anger re-echoed in the entire Emergency department. She was requesting them never to tell her to always calm down. Asking further if she had to turn herself into hospital bed for patient to be treated on. A patient seeking medical treating in Nigeria must first know that they must render other activities of the day or days useless because they are not certain of time to depart the hospital after their arrival; this is for the ones who will depart alive. 

Nigerians are in serious trouble as regard standard and safe medical attention backed by end result. It is now advisable for Nigerians to frequently seek medical help when they are still full of strength and have noticed any difference in their health functionality, to avoid been rushed to the hospital for an emergency. It has been frequently noticed that even those who assisted their patient to the hospital ended up a patient on their return from the hospital. This is because the country’s hospital system and procedure drain them beyond their strength due to unending requests by medical practitioners.

From 9.00am till 7.00pm, we were standing, having no seat to seat. There was no time to eat as you can’t afford missing a turn. Material as simple as bed for patient should not, in a working system be a hindrance for medical attention that requires an urgency in an emergency section of any hospital.

My pilgrimage to the Emergency department of the hospital reveals that patients do not die mostly due to the complexity or complication of their health status, but rather due to lack of adequate attention, inhuman behaviour from service providers, inefficient and inconsistent administrative system, unqualified medical practitioners, and wrong prescriptions; including absolute negligence.

The mental health of medical practitioners should be checked from time to time. This young lady-doctor may be suffering from stress, affecting her mental state. Healthcare Professionals often face high levels of stress, which can lead to burnout. This can negatively affect their ability to provide compassionate and effective care. Regular psychological assessments can help identify those at risk of burnout or mental health issues, allowing for timely intervention while restricting them from attending to patient until recovery. 

Mental fatigue and stress can contribute to medical errors, which can have serious consequences for patients. By monitoring the mental health of practitioners, hospitals can reduce the likelihood of mistakes in medication administration and other critical areas. A practitioner who is mentally healthy is more likely to communicate effectively with patients, make sound clinical decisions, and provide a supportive environment. This is crucial in ensuring patient safety and satisfaction.