Patient safety-Telling our stories

This platform is all about sharing information about patient safety, avoiding harassment, staying healthy and sharing information of how to improve the quality of the services that the patients received by continuous educating the patients to prevent future errors in taking medical decisions. We are here to empower someone by sharing information about our experiences and knowledge, learn from other people's mistakes, encourage those in need and foster better relationship to build a greater and healthy society.
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How I became a patient advocate

Back in 2004 at a faith-based hospital in Kaduna, I was wrongly diagnosed to have an ectopic pregnancy at 16 weeks gestation by a Cameroonian doctor. It all started with severe abdominal pain at about 11pm that night and I was rushed to the hospital. On getting to the hospital, the doctor on duty did some palpation and examination and using a syringe sucked out blood by the side of my abdomen. According to them, they said that the diagnosis revealed that I have an internal bleeding as a result of the suspected ectopic pregnancy which was why they were able to suck out blood from that part of my abdomen. They told me that this is an emergency case and therefore should be taken for immediate surgery else I might bleed to death.

I asked for an alternative investigation that could confirm the diagnoses may be ultrasound but was told that the personnel in that department have all closed for the day and that I should rather make up my mind fast before my situation will deteriorate. With that scary information, I submitted to the emergency surgery. The next morning, on gaining consciousness I learned that it was actually not ectopic pregnancy as they claimed but was appendicectomy which was almost about to rupture as they alleged.  I really was wondering which one to believe but as a naïve patient, I believed their tale (In fact only God knows the truth).

I felt bad about the wrong diagnosis but at the same time thanked God that I am alive to tell the story. They closed me up and the pregnancy progressed till 9 months. At term I went into labor- and it was entirely a different story.

I labored from morning till evening, the Chief midwife became so worried that she called the attention of the doctor on duty to review the case- unfortunately, the doctor insisted that the patient should be wheeled to him at the OPD from the maternity ward as he was busy, being the only doctor on call on that Sunday. This was after several distress call was made to him. I was later wheeled to him for review and was taken back to the maternity but at that point, I was losing consciousness.  

Lying helpless on the couch, I was hearing tiny whispers and murmuring from the nurses about their displeasure with doctor’s attitude who promised to come along with them but was still not there up till that moment. At that point, I was almost giving up although I knew my husband was outside and was not allowed to come to where I was but I could not even ask the nurses to call him to help me because I could not talk but was wondering if that will be the end of my life.

The next thing I heard was fast! fast!! fast!!! It was later the next day that I learned that my husband on perceiving the gross negligence from the doctor on duty had to call the Cameroonian doctor who did the initial surgery. That was how God spared my life as I was rushed for an emergency caesarian section to bring out the baby- but unfortunately, the baby had died. The whole incidence made me lost fate with the medical personnel that I later sort help from the traditional birth attendant (TBA) not minding the risk.

I have also seen a whole lot of negligence and avoidable mistakes working in the field of public health hence my primary motivation to become a patient advocate and share some of these experiences to help us stay safe and enjoy a better health. I enjoy you to join your voices with mine to improve the health condition of our teeming population. We highly appreciate your comments and contributions.

Lessons:

•  Don’t accept surgery without ultrasound report and always insist on second or even third expert opinions on matters requiring surgery.
•  Husbands should accompany their wives to clinics especially during delivery
• TBA might not be the best option in face of hopelessness though it worked for me, it might not work for another person given their limited expertise to handle complex cases.
• Patient medical history is very important for a prompt response and case management
• Need to have adequate human resource personnel during weekends and holidays
• As a healthcare provider, please know when to refer out a patient and it is more honorable to take a leave when fatigued rather than to cause more harm than good.
•  As a patient, when you observe gross neglect from a service provider or fatigued/ demotivated staff- please act fast in your own interest.
•  Services in the hospital should run for 24 hours.

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