The Coroner Inquest set-up to unravel the misery surrounding the death of Lagos-based pastry chef, Peju Ugboma, has indicted doctors of Premier Hospital for medical negligence.
The mother of two died after she suffered internal bleeding following an elective hysterectomy operation for a fibroid condition at the Victoria Island-based hospital in April 2021.
Until her death on 25 April, she was the founder of a pastry company, I Luv Desserts.
In June, the Lagos State Government through the Health Facility Monitoring and Accreditation Agency, HEFAMAA, shut down the intensive care unit of the hospital, pending the outcome of its investigation.
The coroner’s inquest, which kick-started in May 2021, had 16 witnesses including the widower, doctors, pathologists, and others.
After the surgery in April, she complained of severe abdominal pain and discomfort. Her blood pressure dropped to as low as 50/30.
She died after she was referred from Premier Hospital to Evercare Specialist Hospital.
At Evercare, they discovered that she had no pulse, and subsequent CPR meant to revive her failed.
The deceased husband, Ijoma Ugboma believed she died due to negligence by doctors from the Premier Hospital, who attended to her.
The coroner said the “only logical” insight to “her death is a result of the combination of lack of due diligence of the doctors.”
He said the failure of appropriate response – substandard care and inadequate optimal care contributed to her untimely demise.
He further said other factors that led to her “avoidable death” were the absence of vital medical devices to detect intra-abdominal bleeding, poor documentation of clinical notes, and failure of the immediate involvement of appropriate surgeons.
The coroner said Premier Hospital owes their patient better medical care.
He said in his opinion, part-time doctors should not be engaged.