Lagos state government has cushioned the effect of the loss of triplets in year 2010 by Mr and Mrs Olayinka Yussuf Shitta Bay at the Lagos Island maternity hospital in Lagos island with the sum of Two Hundred Thousand Naira.
The couple had petitioned the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola on the incident alleging that negligence and nonchalant attitude on the part of the medical personnel at the hospital was responsible for the death of their babies between 5 and 9 hours after they were born and requested monetary compensation.
On receipt of the petition, Lagos State Health Service Commission, which controls all health institutions in Lagos including Island Maternity Hospital set up a panel of inquiry on the death of the triplets and found none of its officials responsible for the death of the triplets. Rather it blamed Mrs. Shitta bay for complicating her case by failing to come to the hospital until 3 days after the self examination.
The commission further stated that the resultant implications of her actions are that the process is capable of stimulating the uterus and precipitating contraction and labour which could also introduce infection to the babies in her wombs.
It concluded by noting that the resultant death of the triplets was not proximately caused by any breach of duty or negligence on the part of the medical team, but was as a result of the lung immaturity of the babies and their premature status.
Upon the intervention of the Office of the Public Defender(OPD), the office was able to get N200, 0000.00k through mediation between the couple and the health Service Commission as palliative to cushion the financial and other effects the incident must have caused the family. The commission was even magnanimous enough to the couple by providing free antenatal care to Mrs. Shittabey who was already pregnant again while mediation was still on going.
The couple while at the Head office of OPD to receive the money expressed their satisfaction to the way and manner the Office of the Public Defender handled the case and praised the Governor for his prompt intervention on the issue. They came along with their baby that was born after the incident.
