Alleged assault by commissioner: Delta nurses withdraw services

WARRI—NATIONAL Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, Delta State branch, commenced an industrial action, yesterday, alleging assault on a nurse at the Central Hospital, Warri, by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara. Meanwhile, doctors in the state, yesterday, called off their “protest withdrawal of services” over insecurity and kidnap of their members by gunmen. 

Newsmen gathered that the decision to call off the strike was taken at an emergency meeting of Nigeria Medical Association, NMA, branch executive, yesterday. NANNM, in a letter to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan, entitled, “Assault on a nurse by the Commissioner for Health – Notice of Industrial Action,” by the state Secretary, Mr Akinfewa Olabode, demanded unreserved apology from the state government and the Commissioner.

 Vanguard learnt that the nurses withdrew their services with immediate effect at the Central Hospital, Warri, after the incident on March 29. NANNM in the letter, said: “With total disbelief and shock, the association received the ugly news of assault on a female member of the association, Nurse Akate Oghenero, attached to Central Hospital, Warri, by the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Otumara. 

This happened due to failure of the nurse to stand up when the commissioner entered her ward. “This is regarded not only as dehumanizing, but also as the height of provocation to the association and entire nurses in the state. The association, therefore, calls for the immediate removal of Dr. Otumara as the state Commissioner for Health.

 “The association is also demanding an unreserved apology from the state government and the commissioner and until that is done, nurses in the Central Hospital, Warri, shall withdraw their services with immediate effect. “We seize this opportunity to serve notice of indefinite industrial action by nurses in the state from Monday, April 2, until when justice is seen to be done and the brutal attitude is adequately addressed.”

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‘Commissioner slapped nurse in Delta’

THERE was controversy, at the weekend, in Delta State over the allegation that the Delta State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Joseph Otumara, slapped a nursing officer at the Central Hospital, Mrs. Akata Oghenero, just as the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, in the state is spoiling for a showdown over the matter.

But the commissioner, Dr. Joseph Otumara, swore to Sunday Vanguard on phone, yesterday, that he didn’t slap Mrs. Oghenero, saying that he only tried to stop her from making calls with her GSM phone while work was going on during his visit to the hospital on March 29.

The incident was said to have happened at the gynecologist ward of the Central Hospital in the presence of many nurses and officials of the Ministry of Health, Asaba.

Otumara said the medical director of the hospital cautioned the nurse to stop her noisy phone call, but she rebuffed the order, adding that it was her defiance that attracted his attention, and action in trying to stop her from disturbing others.

However, nurses at the Central Hospital, Warri commenced a strike action on Friday over the incident and, according to a privileged source, “They are waiting at home for the state leadership to declare a state-wide action from tomorrow (Monday).

But, a reliable source hinted that the bone of contention was being discussed between the commissioner and the leadership of the nurses, and the differences might be sorted out.

However, the Forum for Justice and Human Rights Defence, FJHD, in Delta State, has demanded that the commissioner should tender an unreserved apology to the nurse or resign his appointment.

The group, in a statement by its national coordinator, Oghenejabor Ikimi, stated, “We are in receipt of a protest letter minuted upon and sent to our office by Comrade Ojei J.O, the Central Hospital, Warri Unit Chairman of the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives.

“The said letter is headlined thus: Letter of protest: Physical Assault on the person of Mrs. Akata Oghenero, a Nursing Officer II at the Central Hospital, Warri by Dr. Joseph Otumara, Hon Commissioner for Health, Delta State.”

The letter went on: “On 29 March, 2012, while Mrs. Akata Oghenero, a Nursing Officer II at the Central Hospital, Warri was on duty in the Gynae ward of the said hospital, the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Delta State, Dr. Joseph Otumara, and his entourage came into the said ward and, in the process, Mrs. Akata Oghenero, in company of some student nurses who were present, immediately stood up to acknowledge his presence, while the said commissioner and his entourage walked through to the maternity ward.

“Shortly afterwards, Mrs. Akata Oghenero, while seated and receiving an emergency call on her mobile phone, suddenly heard a slap on her right check with a thunderous voice, ‘Why did you not stand up the second time’ and, upon turning her face, Mrs. Akata Oghenero discovered her assailant to be Dr. Joseph Otumara, the Health Commissioner, who was still fuming.

“At that point, Mrs. Akata Oghenero was speechless, humiliated, battered and weeping; there and then, the permanent secretary, Hospitals Management Board, Asaba, requested for the name of Mrs. Akata Oghenero, threatening to issue her a query and relieve her of her job”.

Ikimi went on: “Assuming, without conceding that Mrs. Akata Oghenero had committed an offence while Dr. Joseph Otumara was visiting, slapping a nurse on duty is definitely not one of the ways to discipline an erring public officer and, as such, we call on the said Health Commissioner to publicly tender an unreserved apology to the said Mrs. Akata Oghenero or, in the alternative, resign his appointment as he is not a fit and proper person to hold a public office.

‘’In the final analysis, we shall not hesitate to enforce the fundamental rights of Mrs. Akata Oghenero on her behalf and claim damages at large against the said Dr. Joseph Otumara in person, should he fail to heed to our above warnings”.

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Nigeria nurse 'didn’t notice a patient was DEAD and left another with her br*asts exposed

A nurse failed to recognise a patient was dead and left another patient sitting with her br*asts exposed, a hearing has heard.

Jean Ndubeze is accused of making numerous blunders while working as a nurse at Hackney's Homerton Hospital in east London.

She allegedly said that a pain relief drug was 'very addictive' and failed to notice or respond when ventilator and monitor alarms were activated, the Nursing and Midwifery Council panel was told.

Ndubeze, who worked at the hospital between March 2007 and July 2008, is also charged with making mistakes in clinical practice, including problems inserting catheters and repeated failures to carry out blood pressure checks before administering drugs.

Describing the incident involving the dead patient on May 18, 2007, Sister Verl Vine told the panel: ‘How much poorer can a nurse’s observational skills be?

‘I was very shocked she was unable to detect that this patient was in fact dead.’

Alex Mills, for the NMC, asked Ms Vine how Ndubeze reacted when she was told the patient was dead.

Ms Vine replied: "She, Ndubeze, said 'nobody tells me anything so how am I supposed to know this?'"

‘She unfortunately wasn’t very pleased with me. I had that glaring look off her which suggested she wasn’t very happy.’

Ms Verl said in ITU there were obvious signs to indicate a patient had died, including a sheet covering them from head to toe and the absence of a nurse.

Monitors were switched off, added Ms Verl, and the curtains often drawn.

Alex Mills, for the NMC, asked: ‘If a patient is in ITU and alive, would you ever cover their head?’

‘No,’ replied Ms Vine.

He continued: ‘If a patient was being treated in ITU and they were alive, would they ever have no monitors at all?’

‘No,’ she repeated.

Mr Mills said: ‘You also mention there was not a nurse in the cubicle. Is that unusual if a patient is alive and being treated?’

Ms Vine replied: ‘Yes. Very highly unusual because you don’t leave patients unattended at any point and especially not with curtains around them.’

She said she would not have expected Ndubeze, who had been taking clean linen into the cubicle, to do anything upon discovering the dead patient.

But she said nurses were expected to be aware of their environment.

In relation to the woman left sitting in a chair with her br*asts on show and the curtain open, Ms Vine said: ‘I would have fully expected her to know this was not an acceptable position for her patient to be in.

‘This was a mixed s*x ward. Relatives and others would have been able to see her.’

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Nigerian Nursing Assistant Arrested For Fondling With Patients And Video Taping It

A nigeria nursing assistant based in the United States, Folajuwani Ajani has been arrested for fondling a patient and also videotaping it.

Ajayi appeared at an indianapolis court on Tuesday where he pleaded not guilty to the charges.

According to charges brought against Ajayi, while working at Wishard Hospital, he allegely removed the clothing of an unconscious female patient and fondled her genital area.

This, he also videotaped. But what gave him away was that he mistakenly videotaped his ID card and his title.

Naijapals gathered that upon arrest, police said his phone had 400,000 pictures and 17 videos.Prosecutors says they are looking for means to get the other women on his phone and interview them on whether or not they have also been abused by the assitant nurse.

Ajayi’s case has once again raised the issue of medical personnel who used their position to violate female patients by s*xually abusing them.

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Nigerian Nurse's Licence Withdrawn In UK For Calling on Jesus For Help

A 51 year old Nigerian-born UK resident nurse, Omolayo Abayomi, has had her Nurse's licence withdrawn by the UK Nursing and Midwifery Council for throwing her hands into the air and begging for Jesus to help, as a baby she was supposed to be taking care of suffered a heart attack.

According to Daily Mail UK, Omolayo Abayomi 'panicked' when the child, who suffered from a chronic lung disease, turned blue and stopped breathing in his cot at home. The nurse called for divine intervention more than 20 times before the vulnerable boy's mother told her to 'shut up'.

The nurse was constantly saying "Jesus help him" and waving her arms around,' a hearing was told.
What is wrong with these oyibo people...don't they know in Nigeria, we can't do anything without calling the name of Jesus?


The nurse 'provided wholly inadequate care' by leaving the frantic mother to resuscitate her lifeless son, while the father dialled 999.

Abayomi was found guilty of a string of charges by the Nursing and Midwifery Council at a hearing in central London.

Sydney Topping, for Abayomi, insisted his client's behaviour had represented no more than a 'bad day at the office' and urged the panel to let her off with a caution.
'Once in a while you have a bad day at the office,' he said.

'I would suggest that on April 8 the registrant had a bad day at the office. It was no worse than that. She has bounced back since then.'

The hearing heard that the child, referred to a Patient A, and his twin sister were born three months premature at Homerton University Hospital in Hackney, east London, and as a result suffered from a number of serious illnesses and so required round-the-clock care.

Joanna Dirmikis, for the NMC, said Abayomi had been employed by private nursing firm Paediatric Nursing Link to look after the infant, who required 22 hours of nursing care every day.
The parents were woken by a knock on their bedroom door at 5am on April 8, 2007, to find their son lying lifeless after suffering respiratory cardiac arrest, the panel was told.

'While Mrs A was trying to resuscitate the child, Mr A called 999,' said Miss Dirmikis.
'The twin sister of the little boy was also present during the incident and can be heard crying in the background during the call.'

'She panicked and at one stage even summoned divine intervention, calling for Jesus,' she added.
Paramedics rushed the boy to Whipps Cross Hospital in Leytonstone, east London, before he was taken to Great Ormond Street Hospital on the same day for further treatment.
Giving evidence, a tearful Mrs A said Abayomi had effectively 'abandoned' her during the incident.

'The nurse was constantly saying "Jesus help him" and waving her arms around,' she said.
'She said it more than 20 times. I felt I had to do everything - at that point she was doing nothing to help my son.
'She never offered to take the lead at any point and at no point did she suggest calling 999.
'I can't change what's happened to my son, I know I did the best for him but the nurse just completely abandoned her duty.

'If I can save just one other person from having to go through what we have been through, then that's what I want to do.'

The panel heard Patient A, now aged five, made a full recovery from the incident but is still totally dependent on others for his care.

Abaymo claimed the mother had pushed her away and refused to let her help.
She denied calling out for Jesus, panicking and failing to provide care or basic life support.
The nurse further denied failing to properly handover the case to paramedics and making inaccurate and false notes about the incident.

She was cleared of specific charges that she suctioned the child's tracheostomy tube or that she failed to record observations taken but was found guilty of misconduct and ruled unfit to continue working without restrictions.

Striking Abayomi off, panel chair John Williams said: 'This was a failure to accept responsibility for her role in the events by the registrant.
'She has shown a lack of empathy with the parents of the child and there has been no admission or apology, and therefore no insight.
'This failure is incompatible with her continuing to be a registered nurse.'

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