A hospital, NobleCare Specialist Clinic, Owerri located along Onitsha-Owerri road has rejected a ‘dying patient’ admitted to the hospital because a nurse in the hospital was admonished to keep the hospital clean as the facility was evidently untidy
Consequently, the Medical Director of the Hospital, one Dr. Asodike, declined to render medical service to the octogenarian grandmother, because a member of her family dared to complain that the hospital was dirty.
Patient rejected from admission for condemning filthy hospital environment being taken away by her son.
One of the sons of the slumped octogenarian, Prospect Mlemchukwu, who spoke to our correspondent said that the ‘hospital is the worst he has ever seen before’ and should be monitored closely by relevant agencies as the managers of the hospital were more homicidal in their approach to medical practise than humanitarian.
He Narrated: “I was called a few days ago that my mum was seriously ill and that I should come over to NobleCare Specialist Hospital opposite NNPC Mega filling station Owerri. I went there with my brother Chijioke.
“On reaching there, I saw that where they kept my mother was like a refuse heap, unfit for humans. The rooms in the hospital were very dirty and unkempt with dilapidated equipment.
“So I asked my sister why they brought my mother to this hospital because the hospital doesn’t look good at all. So my sister told me that the doctor treating my mother is a good doctor and I agreed.
He added that a lady nurse had offered to sell them a face masks for N200 and thereafter they had admonished her that the clinic was untidy and unhygienic for dispensing medications and treating patients and that they should do more in the area cleanliness.
“We were shocked to the marrows when my sister and my wife who had gone in to see the doctor on behalf of my mother were told that the hospital cannot attend to my mother because we complained that the clinic was dirty.
“As a matter of facts, when they got to the Medical Director’s(MD) office, the MD, Dr. Asodike said he heard somebody talking about his hospital, and with that kind of insult he can’t treat my mother and the doctor vehemently refused to attend to the slumped octogenarian”.
“Meanwhile, the doctor did not deny that his clinic was dirty, and so my brother, Chijioke warned that if my mother dies here without treatment, that we are going to sue the hospital and there will be consequences.
At that point, Dr. Asodike said he has the right to refuse any patient and that we should go to somewhere else. Then we concluded he may be homicidal and left as he didn’t even care if the old woman died in the waiting room. “
Prospect continued: “The point is that, we took my mother to a more decent place and she survived. My complaint is in the interest of the public because the next victim of this ‘medical tyranny’ by Asodike, may not survive”.
Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) Imo state chapter, Dr Chidiebere Okwara said he was yet unaware of the incident.
He explained however that whenever there are issues of abuse by doctors and the patient is not satisfied with doctor’s conduct, it is the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria( MDCN) that regulates all doctors in Imo state and other states.”
When newsmen visited the NobleCare Clinic, an intern at the entrance said Doctor Asodike was out of the facility at the time and when asked for the Doctor’s mobile number, he said he didn’t have the Doctor’s instruction to hand it out.
