MAMA IJAW!! MAMA IJAW!! YOU HAVE KILLED YOUR CHILD!! PT 2

"Have you the booked theatre?", The Registrar asked. From what I could observe, he seemed to handle the situation with so much calm. A doctor fine tuned over time into an autonomic machine, with each move already calculated and ingrained in his subconscious. "Yes chief" was the reply from my colleague. From the look on his face he appeared wearisome and apprehensive. Then I asked, "so sir, what is the diagnosis?" "Well" he said, "this is a classical case of prolonged obstructed labor with chorioamnionitis until proven otherwise" "What about the results of the samples sent to the lab, are the results out yet?" I had already ordered for the two bottles filled with blood samples I collected earlier on to be sent to the laboratory a few minutes ago. I could understand his apprehension, but there was no way the results would have been out in such a short time. "I'm on it sir" I said, with the hope of jogging down to the laboratory as soon as I had prepared a list of materials and medications necessary for the looming caesarean section.

So I went out of the labor ward to see the relatives and called the husband aside to keep him abreast of the progress made and what the next step might entail.
"Oga, as this matter be so ehn, plenty things dey to do o and we have to be fast because na emergency we  land so." A few month worth of experience in internship was just about enough to sense nonchalance from relatives and friends of patients. "So this na the list of things wey you go buy now now so that we go run this surgery sharply because na your wife and baby life we dey talk about so." I watched his face to note any reactions as this would influence my method of communicating with him. He looked away and asked, "how much e be?" I answered, "I no know o, but e no suppose reach #10,000." "Pharmacy people go know better." I added, still studying his face. He finally met my eyes with his and I could see the reluctance masking his face. " na only #5000 dey with me o. I no get another money." He finally said.
"What of your people them, make una rally round gather money, like #20,000. If we no do anything now, your pikin go die, your wife fit die. E no go make sense if after all these 9 months, something happen to your pikin o". His response gave me a 21st century shocker. "If the pikin die, make e die. I go born another one" he said defiantly. Getting really unsettled and sad at the same time by this ignorant statement, I helped him complete his nonchalance by adding calmly, "and if your wife die, you go marry another one shey?" "Your family don turn commodity wey you fit replace." I immediately left him to think about the implication of what he just said, besides the thought of such statement brought bile to my mouth.

I went inside to the labor ward to inform the registrar of the new development. By now the other senior doctors on call were present and coordinating preparations for the surgery, examining and re-examining and stuff. Now one of the senior registrars said, "let's go have a talk with her husband." "you see, sometimes you have to put on a tough skin to handle some of these people. Truth is many of these patients come to the hospital without any funds and expect magic from doctors." We got back to the patient's husband and relatives and the first thing the senior registrar said was, " You people want to kill this poor woman abi? Your wife will die in a few hours if you just sit down there and expect miracles. In fact, Ehen! you people should come and write that you don't have money and that if anything should happen, its fully your responsibility." Turning to me he said, Doctor please get a plain sheet for them to write and sign. There's only so much we can do. Hospitals are not charity organizations"
As though enchanted I could see the husband looking around to his relatives and muttering something in Ijaw language, they too suddenly apprehensive replied and in a matter of a moment's notice the husband informed us that he would start making calls to secure funds.

Patient's temperature was still high, pulse still racing and the heart rate of  the baby wasn't encouraging from what the registrar noted. Events unfolded in rapid turns and in a matter of minutes, the patient was ready for surgery, medical materials duly procured and the patient was wheeled into the theatre.

The surgery went well however, the baby had respiratory problems, but sepsis was already top on the list of presumed disease to contend with, and was subsequently taken to the Special Care Baby Unit for prompt attention. The patient however was going to stay in the ward a little longer due to the infection (chorioamnionitis)  she was diagnosed of during labour.

Women and children constitute a major part of our Nigerian society. We have no reason for deaths among women due to child birth. Antenatal visits are paramount to curbing the high incidence of maternal mortality in our country. With ignorance and lack of education as background issue, the longer people stay away from the hospital when having one symptom or the other could mean undue funds to be spent in the long run. Traditional birth attendants may have some skill when attending to women in labour, but they are often unable to handle complications that could possibly arise. Hence the best option still is to see a doctor.