By Alemeru Mathew Adekunle, Esq
There is a saying that the world is a big sphere of good and evil and we have a divine duty, as humans to fight against evil with our every breath, and every action should be dedicated to wiping evil from the face of the earth.
However, the world is broke. And the destruction is evident in the way some people play gods, trading their fellows as mere commodity. The World had been broken since the day Dr. Farid Fata, a Cancer doctor decided to wrongfully and fraudulently diagnose 553 patients of cancer for the sake of money; it had been broken since the day Dr. Ejike Ferdinard Orji wrongfully conducted a surgery on little Somi’s left leg which almost cost him his life. Sadly, the world was broken when we lost Miss Mercy Chidinma Uzonwanne to the callous hands of death due to the greedy nature of Dr. Jide Kudehinbu.
Late Barrister Chidinma, a member of the Nigeria Bar Association Gwagwalada Branch was a soul full of life. Her youthful charisma and her unwavering service to the bar was a testament to her esteemed reverence for justice and there was no way, by any stretch of imagination, anyone would ever believe that Barrister Chidinma who innocently went for a surgery at the Nigeria Air Force Base hospital in Abuja would tragically meet her demise due to the negligence of a reckless doctor.
It was a fateful day in the first week of December 2020 when Barrister Chidinma visited the NAF Base Hospital in Abuja. There, she received the news of her diagnosis – fibroids. She was advised to undergo surgery for their removal. Barrister Chidinma decided to proceed with the surgery. However, she was deceived by Dr. Jide Kudenhinbu, a doctor at the NAF hospital, who lured her to his ill-equipped private hospital called Medimore Hospital in Lugbe. On the 13th of December 2020, Dr. Kudenhinbu performed the surgery on her and she was discharged from the hospital a few days later.
As time went on, Miss Chidinma began to experience alarming difficulties with her breathing. Additionally, she noticed a foul and unbearable smell emanating from her mouth, which was later discovered to be a result of a punctured intestine. Despite her persistent complaints and concerns, Dr. Kudenhinbu callously reassured her that everything would be fine and that her condition would improve.
Regrettably, her health continued to deteriorate, ultimately forcing her to return to the NAF hospital where an urgent corrective surgery needed to be performed. It is interesting to note also that Dr. Kunle singlehandedly conducted the surgery as against standard requirement and had only one nurse and had to use lamp when his generating set went off. In a desperate attempt to save her, Miss Chidinma was subsequently transferred to the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital where she passed away on the 22nd of January 2022.
Upon receiving the news of the tragic death of their esteemed member, the NBA Gwagwalada Branch, led by its Chairman Isah Abubakar Aliyu, after briefings from the medical Doctors and pathologist who conducted an autopsy to determine the cause of death, petitioned Dr. Kudenhinbu. The branch wrote a letter to the Medical and Dental Practitioners Council on the 3rd of March, 2021 to conduct an investigation into the cause her death. It was followed with another dated 14th June, 2021 demanding the Code of Conduct Bureau to further look into the matter, particularly as to whether Dr. Jide could maintain a private hospital while working with the Ministry of Defense. In order to understand the circumstances surrounding her passing, an autopsy was conducted by Dr. Abimiku, a Pathologist at the University of Abuja Teaching Hospital on the 28th of January, 2021. The results were nothing short of shocking. It was revealed that Barrister Chidinma’s health had been grossly mismanaged and that the surgery performed by Dr. Kudenhinbu had resulted in severe surgical wounds, overwhelming sepsis, renal infarction and colonic perforation, which necessitated further corrective surgery. The findings of the autopsy only served to fuel the fire of outrage and the quest for justice.
The relentless pursuit of truth and accountability by the Nigerian Bar Association, Gwagwalada Branch ultimately led to Dr. Kudenhinbu being charged for conducting himself in an unprofessional manner contrary to section 16(1) (a) and (2) of the Medical and Dental Practitioners Act of 2004 and the Code of Medical Ethics which he pleaded guilty to. The counsel to Dr. Kudenhinbu pleaded with the Tribunal to grant leniency and lesser punishment in reliance with section 16 of the medical and Dental Practitioners Act which gives the tribunal the utmost power to sanction a defaulting practitioner. As a consequence of his actions, the Tribunal gave the following verdict on the 24th of September 2022:
“In consideration of the facts, seriousness of the offenses and the defense counsel’s plea for leniency which the prosecution counsel does not oppose, the tribunal has reached a verdict. The doctor in question, Dr. Kudehinbu Olajide Bola, has been found guilty on all seven counts of the charge. The counts include providing hospital care to a patient in a private facility while employed full-time in the public service at Nigerian Air Force Hospital, Abuja, enticing a patient to his practice at Medimore Hospital, Lugbe, Abuja, making an incompetent assessment of his patient, failing to promptly refer the patient to a more skilled practitioner and facility, and displaying gross negligence.
As for the sentence, Dr. Kudehinbu Olajide Bola is convicted on all seven counts and is hereby suspended from medical practice. The duration of the suspension is 3 months for count 1, 6 months for count 2, 3 months for count 3, 6 months for count 4, 3 months for count 5, and 6 months for count 6. The suspensions will run concurrently and take immediate effect.”
As I reflect upon this tragic incident, I am reminded of the countless victims and lost souls, whose pain often goes unheard and unacknowledged. It is a somber reality that many suffer silently, without anyone to fight for them. Yet, even in the face of such despair, I hold on to the belief that the world will gradually find healing because there are people in the world today like the Members of the NBA Gwagwalada Branch.
The courageous decision of Isah Abubakar Aliyu Esq in the face of the storm deserves commendation. It is has been rumoured, to the joy of many, that he will provide more of his sterling leadership in another capacity by contesting for the position of General Secretary, Nigerian Bar Association. I am aware he is currently consulting with members from the different branches of the Nigerian Association. I hope, like many others, that this becomes a reality. The Chidinmas of this world, dead and alive, will be assured of justice with him in a greater leadership position.
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