Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Mbonu, the parents of a nine-month-old baby named Jidenma Mbonu, who passed away last Friday at the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, have accused an unidentified female doctor of causing the baby’s death.
They claim that their baby died at the tertiary health institution after the female doctor allegedly administered an overdose of medication through an injection. According to the baby’s mother, the doctor in question mixed the drug and shook it for nearly 30 minutes.
She claimed, “So, another doctor there asked her why she was shaking the drug for so long. But the female doctor said she had to shake it very well. I reminded her that they used to cut the drug into two and use a 2ml syringe. I sought to know why she was using a 5ml syringe for my son. But she asked me, ‘Do you want to teach me my job?’
“I brought out my baby’s leg; she then used a 5ml syringe and injected the first one with speed. She further injected the second and third. Thereafter, my baby started vomiting on my body and that is how he started shrinking. My baby died in my hands.”
The baby’s father, Mr. Joseph Mbonu, made an appeal to the police and other relevant authorities for assistance. He expressed his determination to use the tragic death of their child as a catalyst to fight against the injustices that children face in hospitals.
In response, the facility’s management has established a seven-member committee to investigate the circumstances surrounding the baby’s death. The Public Relations Officer of the Federal Medical Centre, Mr. Bernard Akpedi, confirmed the commencement of the investigation on Monday. Akpedi expressed the management’s profound unhappiness and sadness regarding the child’s demise, emphasizing their surprise over the incident.
