WHEN 26-year-old Chineye Nwafor travelled to India for a limb-correction surgery, she had no idea it was going to be a journey of no return. She was brought back dead.
An encounter with Mrs Joy Nwafor, mother of the deceased, at the entrance of the India High Commission in Lagos, threw light on the untimely death of the young graduate. Joy, 54, who told Sunday Vanguard that she accompanied her daughter on the trip, cried foul over the circumstances leading to the death.
Accompanied by sympathisers demanding justice through a peaceful protest at the High Commission, the bereaved mother put the blame at the doorsteps of the Fortis Hospital, India, where the surgery was carried out.
Displaying placards, the protesters were undeterred by heavily armed policemen manning the gates of the Commission. They alleged that Chineye’s death was a case of negligence and repeatedly demanded justice and release of the autopsy result from the hospital.
Narrating her story, Joy, from Dunukofia Local Government, Anambra State, said it all began last year just after her daughter obtained her first degree.
“Chineye had just graduated from University of Abuja and was preparing for her NYSC but the family decided that rather than just sit at home before her call-up, she should utilise the period to correct her deformed right limb which had been shortened as a result of a fall experienced in 2001,” She told Sunday Vanguard.
“Following the fall in which she broke her femur (thigh bone), she had a surgery which involved the insertion of k-nail (iron) to support the bone. The iron eventually broke and another surgery was necessitated to remove the pieces and also correct the shortened limb that was causing her a lot of pain.”
The bereaved mother went on: “The prayer of every mother is to train her child and, in turn, the child takes care of her when she’s old. That was not to be in my case as I watched my little Chineye, who had graduated only a month ago, die in my arms owing to the negligence of doctors at Fortis Hospital, New Delhi, India.
“After the surgery, Chineye was upset. She raised fears over the surgery, claiming that one Dr Gupta, the senior consultant, had removed only one of the two pieces of the previously broken iron in her limb as opposed to earlier agreement that the two pieces would be removed before conducting the limb lengthening surgery. However, despite her complaints, the doctor assured her that everything would be fine.”
Joy revealed that after her discharge, it was noticed that the lengthening screw was stiff. They complained immediately, but were informed that the doctors were looking for the right size of iron for her height.
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