“I WAS AFRAID.” These were the words of Njideka Ezeihejiofor, a health worker at Ukpo Primary Healthcare Centre in Anambra State, who has been suspended for refusing to attend to a pregnant woman in distress — a decision that resulted in the woman delivering a stillborn baby just outside the facility.
The Anambra State Government took the disciplinary action following an investigation into the incident, which occurred on Tuesday. By Friday, a panel chaired by the state’s Commissioner for Health, Afam Obidike, had concluded that Mrs Ezeihejiofor acted unprofessionally, leading to her suspension without pay and a demotion.
Recounting the events that led to the tragedy, Mrs Ezeihejiofor admitted that she turned the pregnant woman away around 11 a.m. because she was exhausted and fearful of the situation.
“When the patient came in, she said she was about six months pregnant and that she could no longer feel her baby kicking. I told her to go to a higher health facility for the best care,” she explained to the panel.
She described how shortly after the woman left, some individuals rushed back to the clinic, pleading with her to assist as the woman had delivered just “two poles away” from the facility. However, Mrs Ezeihejiofor said she refused, driven by fear and uncertainty about the situation.
“When they came back and said she was delivering, I didn’t go because I was afraid,” she said.
Her decision, however, resulted in severe consequences. The pregnant woman lost her baby and was left vulnerable to potentially life-threatening complications, particularly from the retained placenta.
Commissioner Obidike, addressing the panel’s findings, condemned the health worker’s actions.
“The panel found that Mrs Ezeihejiofor refused to examine the pregnant woman or provide a referral letter when she visited the centre,” he said. “When she was called to assist and separate the placenta after the woman delivered the stillborn just two poles away from the facility, she reportedly declined.”
The commissioner highlighted the critical danger posed by a retained placenta, explaining that it could have caused fatal bleeding if not for the intervention of another health worker in the vicinity.
“A retained placenta can cause life-threatening bleeding and even death. That patient could have bled to death if not for the prompt intervention of another health worker within the area,” Mr Obidike warned.
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The disciplinary panel ultimately ruled that Mrs Ezeihejiofor be demoted and suspended without pay. In addition, all other staff members at the Ukpo Primary Healthcare Centre were issued queries regarding their roles in the incident.
The health commissioner stressed that such lapses could undermine the administration’s efforts to strengthen healthcare services.
“We are investing heavily in the healthcare sector under Governor Charles Soludo’s administration. Negligence like this cannot be tolerated,” Mr Obidike said. “Health workers who feel they can no longer carry out their duties should resign quietly rather than put lives at risk.”
In a related development, the panel also suspended Blessing Offor, the officer-in-charge of Uke Primary Healthcare Centre in Idemili North Local Government Area. Ms Offor was found to have been consistently absent from duty and was ordered to refund eight months’ salary received during her unauthorised absence.
The health commissioner urged residents to remain vigilant and report any instances of negligence, assuring them that designated contact numbers were displayed at healthcare facilities for such purposes.
The disciplinary panel included Chisom Uchem, Executive Secretary of the Anambra State Primary Healthcare Development Agency; Chris Azor, Coordinator of the Anambra Civil Society Network; and other key stakeholders.
