A 10-day-old baby has died at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Hospital in Kumasi in a suspected case of medical negligence.
Faraj Mohammed was sent to the facility for a male circumcision procedure, but sources at the facility say he suffered cardiac arrest during the procedure.
He died a few minutes later while under the care of the medical team.
The situation has left the parents of the baby devastated.
On April 3, Mohammed Jamal, 36, a private security officer and Halimatu Adams, 27, a fashion designer took their son to the KNUST Hospital for a simple procedure, male circumcision.
Faraj Mohammed was received by a nurse who took him to the theatre for the procedure.
“The baby was 10 days old so we decided to send him to hospital for circumcision. Whilst at the hospital, they showed us the theatre. We met a nurse who examined the baby, undressed him and took off his diapers and told us everything was okay,” says Mr Jamal.
The wild cry of the baby was heard for the last time by the parents who were seated at the waiting area of the theatre.
Then some senior nurses and doctors were seen rushing into the theatre, a development which made the parents distraught.
The baby’s mother, Halimatu Adams, knew something bad had happened to the baby, but had to endure a long wait to hear news about her son.
“I became restless a few minutes later. A woman who spoke to me in Hausa tried to calm me down but it was impossible. I felt like attending nature’s call.”
The inconsistencies in communicating the situation to the parents fuelled speculations about the condition of the baby.
Whilst the couple was asked to get a hospital attendance card to prepare for admission of the baby, an ambulance was brought in a few minutes later to transport him to the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital for further treatment.
Then came the time to break the news of the death of the baby to the parents.
“I didn’t allow the doctor to finish what he was saying…I told him I think my child was dead…I felt something bad had happened to my son,” Halimatu recounted to JoyNews.
Parent’s nightmarish experience of being denied a male child
The thought of losing their only male child under bizarre circumstances has left the couple traumatized.
“The feeling or the pain that you go through; unless you experience it because it’s something you cannot even express,” says Mr Jamal.
Beyond the trauma, the parents would have to endure the nightmarish experience of the cry of their baby echoing in their minds every now and then, especially at night.
“The psychological pains, the trauma that you go through in the night when you hear the cry of the baby,” Mr Jamal has opened up.
As Muslims, having a male child is not only a privilege but an honour from the Almighty Allah for the parents, especially Mrs Jamal whose wish is to have all male children.
Though the couple is blessed with a two-year-old daughter from their three-year-old marriage, it has been the desire of the Jamals to have a male child.
But their joy has been cut short in a more bizarre tragic manner as expressed by Mr Jamal who has been assigned the extra responsibility of consoling the wife.
“Any night, when you hear the cry of the child, you can’t do anything. You can’t focus.”
The couple has been reduced to watching videos and pictures of their son on their phones on a daily basis.
No comment
Authorities at the KNUST Hospital have declined comments on the matter.
The University Relations Officer says the matter has been referred to the legal department for settlement.
But a patient-centred non-governmental group is leading a campaign to bring justice to the Jamals.
The Advocacy for Medical Malpractice Victims says it can establish a prima facie case against the KNUST Hospital.
“From all indications, the hospital is negligent in the conduct of the circumcision,” Kwame Brobbey Appiah the Executive Secretary said.
“We believe strongly that we would be happy to establish a prima facie case,” he added.
Checks at the Health Ministry indicate that medico-legal cases are on the rise in the country.
In recent times, at least two medico-legal cases are received every week, a development which has left Health Minister, Kwaku Agyemang Manu, worried.
“What I am seeing of late at the ministry is the issue of litigation. For the past four weeks or so, almost every week, we get at least one letter from the Attorney-General’s office.
“Somebody has sued somebody with problems with care, service delivery and they want us to come with information to go to court with.”
That was a concern the minister raised at this year’s senior managers meeting of the Ghana Health Service in Kumasi recently.
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