Four Newborn Babies Die In Delta State Hospital

Trouble is currently looming at the Central General Hospital, Sapele in Delta State, following the death of four newborn babies minutes after delivery.

It was learnt that angry patient and visitors protested at the premises of the hospital during the weekend, demanding that government intervenes and investigate the death of the infants.

According to sources, the causes of the untimely deaths of the children were that there was no electricity and one doctor allegedly reportedly drunk.

According to Sunday Vanguard, the bereaved mothers gave birth last Thursday night/Friday morning and lost their babies in the labour ward.

A brother of one of the bereaved mothers, Mr Benjamin Ikeji, explained to news correspondent that his sister’s husband brought his pregnant wife to the hospital at about 5 pm on Thursday.

“When we brought her, the doctor told us my sister was not in labour yet and I waited till 10pm before going home. I called my sister this early morning, and she told me that the baby was stuck and the nurses told her they could do nothing since the doctor was not around”, Ikeji narrated.

“And when I came this morning, I met the doctor who told me there was nothing she could do since there was no light.

“I bought fuel for them and the next thing I heard was that my sister’s baby was dead and all the babies delivered that night died”.

Also Mr Newton Oroba said his wife also lost her newborn after delivery at the labour ward in the hospital, same night, alleged the only doctor who was on duty that night was drunk.

“You could feel it from his breath when he came around 9pm, yesterday (Thursday), and when he left, he did not return”, Oroba stated.

He told Sunday Vanguard that when the nurses observed he was worried around 3pm, they told him they had called the doctor and he was not picking “only to tell me my baby was dead.”

A nurse, who craved anonymity, said the number of newborns said to have died was not true, adding, “Two died in their mothers’ wombs, while two infants died after delivery, it is not the doctor’s fault.”

As at the time of this report, the management of the hospital refused to comment on the matter while Delta State Commissioner for Health was also unreachable.