The family of Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu raised the alarm over the circumstances which led to his sudden death at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, Teaching Hospital (Parklane) Enugu on January 10.
The family of the deceased in a petition to the Chairman of the hospital management board, and the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Enugu State, accused the hospital of recklessness, negligence to duty, nonchalance, professional misconduct, and suspected-delegation to an incompetent professional without due supervision.
In the petition signed by their counsel, Chief Sir OAU Onyema, the family said that they will not leave the matter for God, and that they have resolved to assist, by handing the same over to those created by God, and empowered to handle conflicting-issues of men- the Temple of Justice.
The petition reads, “Sir, we have been briefed and our services retained by the family, friends and well-wishers of once ebullient Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu, as represented by his two sons Engr Ugochukwu Ezeanyanwu and Dr Chigozie Ezeanyanwu of No 38 Church Road, Abakpa Housing Estate, Enugu, Enugu State, Nigeria. We shall for the purposes of this letter refer to them as our clients. It is on their instruction, authority, and on their behalf that we write you as follows:
“Sir, our clients approached us in grief, pains and pathetic stories of how they lost their ebullient father in your hospital under unwarranted circumstances.
“Indeed, we are highly constrained, after our detailed review of the contents of the Hospital folder of Late Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu, and all other circumstances surrounding the untimely reckless death of this Doctor of Metallurgical and Material Engineering of Enugu State University of Science and Technology; to the extent that we are gagging ourselves and overstretching our limit of restraint, from describing his death as Manslaughter, and following it up in that regards.
“Sir, without mincing words, Dr Ezeanyanwu was hale and hearty, safe for a minor inguinal hernia on his right groin which sparingly disturbs him. On noticing that the hernia worries him after trekking a reasonable distance, he decided to operate and remove it by a simple elective topical surgery, called herniorrhaphy.
“To give a clue of his physical state of health, Late Dr Ezeanyanwu personally drove himself to Ezeagu over the weekend on Sunday 7th day of January, 2024 to attend many functions with his friends and well-wishers.
“On Tuesday 9/1/2024, being the day slated for the surgery (which in our Local palace is called ‘ibo’-Akpu’), he drove himself to the hospital being ESUT Parklane, and personally procured all the listed surgical materials that were used.
“Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu, was then evaluated medically, and found very fit for the minor surgery called herniorrhaphy. All his Medical diagnostic parameters revealed very stable and Standard health Indices, with no fear of any complication arising.
“The vital signs, hematological indices etc were all standard; to the extent that the surgery as appropriate will be concluded in record time, with little or no bleeding, and he will leave for home the same day.
“However, recklessness, nonchalance, negligence, and manifest incompetence of the particular officer who was “said” to have performed the minor surgery, came into play. We have incontrovertible indices to believe that, he most probably delegated the surgical act to a novice, without following up with adequate supervision, hence resulting Manifest incompetence in the procedure, that led to the tearing of the abdomen of Mr Johnson Ezeanyanwu, to the extent that few hours after the surgery, he was discovered to have a bloated Tummy with almost half of his blood volume pouring into his abdomen, – a situation called intra peritoneal hemorrhage. This is a very serious and strange complication described by experts, to have emanated from simple herniorrhaphy.
“Indeed, this excessive loss of blood, brought about instant re-scheduling of late Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu for another (2nd) surgery called Exploratory Laparoscopy to know what was amiss, as the team on Doctors, who had mismanaged the man during the 1st surgery, were confused at the development.
“It was at this juncture that they called out for blood from the relative, at about 10.00pm on 9th day of January, 2024. And they requested that they purchase, yet another round of surgical materials. The Surgical materials listed where purchased, but to our clients’ chagrin, No single drop of blood was in the entire ESUT Teaching Hospital Blood Bank by then; yet, they embarked on the said surgery. What a state of recklessness.
“However, analysis of experts unveiled that the herniorrhaphy surgery is a minor surgery that does not cause loss of blood. In essence, incompetence or negligence came into place, as the surgery must have not followed the procedure meant for herniorrhaphy, hence occasioning the encountered damaged that brought about, Ezeanyanwu losing half of his entire blood volume into his abdomen is less than 2 hours after the operation. It was then believed that an irregular act or reckless surgical maneuvering was done, which perforated the femoral artery- a deep major blood vessel conveying blood from the back of the abdomen to the Lower limbs – the legs.
“In a bid to unveil the enigma, our clients averred that one Dr Jude Ivenso (Senior Registrar-08025310759), who was stated to have performed the operation, is an experienced Senior Registrar of about 10 years, and duly knows the procedure for herniorrhaphy, and had done same operation severally without any complications. It is also our clients’ averment, that while at the hospital prior to the surgery (Operation) they observed a close association which they will not wish to describe as amorous, between the said Senior Registrar and a young Lady said to be a House Officer on training called Dr Nneoma Ohieri -08177573896, and that the two entered the theater with Late Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu. Who eventually performed the Surgical act, only the two can explain. And they were all working under a Consultant called Dr Chukwudi Ilo – 08037667877.
“Our clients further maintained that it was only when the once ebullient Johnson Ezeanyanwu was dying, from the unwarranted complications from what ought to be a simple surgery, that they beckoned on the said consultant, and their team recommended that blood should be provided by the relatives, for transfusion. Despite, the unavailability of blood, in the entire hospital, which was undertaking surgical operations on people; our clients rushed out, and provided blood after about an hour of request at about 11.00pm same day; and same was cross-matched and passed for infusion on Dr Johnson Ezeanynwu. His PCV was checked, and what was initially about 40% prior to the initial surgery when he came to the hospital, was then about 25%. All other vital signs checked at the hospital had dropped up to half, including his blood pressure and pulse. It was then the team of Doctors aforementioned in the preceding paragraph, took him back to the theater, for the said Exploratory Laparoscopy, to ascertain the exact artery, from where Dr Johnson was losing blood into his abdomen.
“The most painful, was that despite these emergency situations and dangerous pointers, our client averred that the team, was unalarmed, and did not display any serious concern, or state of emergency that needed quick interventions, even when a novice could easily decipher that there is great urgency; and at the end they forgot to even use the blood which they suffered to provide, to at least stabilize the lost blood volume, before anaesthetizing him for the 2nd Surgery / operation of Exploratory Laparoscopy. The consequence, is that Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu got no salvation, or help in the hands of those he entrusted his life, and he suffered hypovolemic shock, with Cardiopulmonary insufficiency, which culminated to cardiac arrest, and consequently death, at about 12.10am. That was pure death, as a result of trauma, caused by the said medical experts, who ought to heal trauma, as Dr Ezeanyanwu NEVER had any trauma, when he drove himself to the hospital for the elective (scheduled) minor surgery / operation.
“Sir, one the son of Late Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu studied and is practicing Medicine and Surgery. A lot of Dr Ezeanyanwu’s associates, friend a and well-wishers – our clients, are Consultant Surgeons; and most of them, who are experts, and are willing to testify in this matter, maintained, that the great Philosopher of Metallurgical and material Engineering, – a great son of Umuezidolu, in Uzo Uwani LGA of Enugu State, suffered serious RECKLESSNESS, NEGLIGENCE, NONCHALANCE, in the hands of this team. And they posit that it is only PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT, AND SUSPECTED-DELEGATION TO AN INCOMPETENT PERSON WITHOUT DUE SUPERVISION, that can lead to such complication from simple minor Surgery. Anatomical positions of the arteries, vis-a-vis the position of the inguinal canal, where the herniorrhaphy was performed, will unveil that it is only recklessness, incompetence and Negligence, that might have resulted to the trauma on the arteries, which caused the death of Ezeanyanwu.
“Our clients expressed concerns on their observed excessive shivery of the House Officer- Dr Ohieri who stumbled into them, next day after the death of Dr Ezeanyanwu, while meeting with Dr Ivenso and the Consultant Dr Ilo on enquiry about the cause of death. They then wondered whether it could be that she was the one that performed the wrong procedure. Was she qualified to do so?, and Who authorized her to do so? And who supervised her? And Why? These are questions the investigation will unveil.
“Honestly, we need not ask what happened. A simple methodical reasoning from syllogism, will broaden our horizon, and incontrovertibly prove by circumstantial evidence, that something awful, and procedurally wrong, happened to Late Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu at his young age of 62, at ESUT Teaching Hospital Parklane, on 9th day of January, 2024; and such must be punished and compensated.
“We have taken pains to obtain copies of all the contents of Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu’s Folder, laboratory and diagnostic reports, which we will use in proof of our case; and we hereby give you NOTICE TO PRODUCE the same, when called upon. We need no further report to establish our claims, as the contents of the materials before us, collaborated by the cause of death in the Death Certificate issued by your office, are res ipsa loquitur.
“A simply summary of an Expert Report in this imbroglio reads thus: “Following a Pre-Surgical PCV of 40% and Post herniorrhaphy / Pre- Exploratory Laparotomy PCV of 25%, the patient lost 5 Units of blood which is equivalent of half of his blood volume equaling about 2250 -2500mls. Blood was eventually given to surgeons before they went into the theater with the deceased for the second surgery (Exploratory Laparotomy). However, the blood provided was not transfused before the patient was given General Anesthesia and following such volume of blood lost, the heart & lungs could not withstand the effect of the General Anesthesia, and he had a cardiac Arrest as primary Cause of Death, secondary from Hypovolemic Shock (low blood volume), and General anesthesia- induced Cardiopulmonary failure following massive intra – abdominal Hemorrhage from complications of herniorrhaphy. Herniorrhaphy is a simple procedure, and such complications are strange to it, and could only emanate from carelessness, Recklessness, Negligence and incompetence. Indeed, the death was induced and avoidable.”
“TAKE NOTICE THAT it’s our clients’ expression that they are not going to leave this issue for God. And that they have resolved to assist, by handing the same over to those created by God, and empowered to handle conflicting-issues of men- the Temple of Justice.
“TAKE FURTHER NOTICE THAT, unless and until our clients are pacified, we shall be constrained after 3 (three) months from the receipt of this mail, to bring this matter before the Temple of justice, wherein we will claim against:
“And, we shall be claiming amongst other reliefs, a Compensation and punitive General damages of N1,000,000,000:00 (One Billion Naira only) for the unwarranted, reckless and negligent cause of death of Dr Johnson Ezeanyanwu.
“Sir, if your office is not ready to work with discipline, they should shut-down. It will be deceptive to be giving the public, wrong impression that you are working, while you are rather by omissions or commissions causing colossal damages to the system.”