Tina Amanda
University of Portharcourt Teaching hospital Management has debunked the statement made by one Mrs Chiwendu who claimed that the hospital removed her womb.
A Port Harcourt-based human rights group, Lawyers Watch For Justice International Initiative, had waded into the alleged unlawful removal of the woman’s womb at the University of Port Harcourt, UPTH, without her consent.
The group in its petition to the police also cited “gross lack of due diligence”, in the investigation of the matter by the police officer handling the case.
The body also demanded the withdrawal and reassignment of the matter to another police officer.
They accused the police Superintendent handling the case, Supol Rufus of the State Criminal Investigation Department, Port Harcourt of bias, intimidation and harassment of the victim, Revelation Agents online reports.
According to the petition, the group noted that: “We hold the brief of our client on whose instruction and interest we write, on the issue of lack of due diligence in the conduct of investigations of a complainant of the removal of her womb, without her knowledge and consent during a surgery conducted at the University of Harcourt Teaching Hospital,(UPTH) Port Harcourt Rivers State.”
The petition signed by Ikechukwu Richard Ogbokwu, an Associate Solicitor at the human rights organization, noted that its client reported the case of the removal of her womb without her consent on the first day in the month of February 2019 at the UPTH.
But the Acting Public Relation Officer of the Teaching Hospital, Elabha Meni, described the claim as false, saying that it’s cheap blackmail to discredit the hospital.
He said that Mrs Chiwendu was managed by the hospital in a critical condition and all ethical standard maintained, stressing that they saved her life by taking appropriate measures in the consent of her husband, Mr Chiwendu.
The statement noted that the hospital provided drugs, consumables, carried out tests and surgery without any payment from Mrs Chiwendu upon her recovery.
The statement further advised Mrs Chiwendu to register her complaints with the appropriate authority, adding that the hospital will not hesitate to provide evidence to back up their claims.
