Portuguese petitions N’Assembly over wife’s death

LEKE BAIYEWU and SAMSON FOLARIN

A Portuguese, Mr. Arlindo De-Freitas, has asked the National Assembly to investigate the circumstances surrounding the death of his wife, Mrs. Chiamaka Glory De-Freitas, who allegedly died at the Medical Art Centre, Lagos, due to postnatal complications.

De-Freitas, in his petition to the Senate and House of Representatives, dated July 4, 2017, a copy of which was obtained by SUNDAY PUNCH, urged the National Assembly to carry out thorough investigations into his wife’s case.

The petition, titled ‘Deliberate Subversion of the Course of Justice, Cry/Demand for Justice for Late Mrs. Chiamaka De-Freitas (Nee Nwoke),’ was filed by an alternative dispute resolution firm, Intermediation (UK).

The De-Freitas family is also demanding N50m as punitive damages against the hospital.

In the petition, the hospital was accused of conducting a second operation on Mrs. De-Freitas without her husband’s consent. She was said to have died after days of continuous bleeding.

The family is also demanding the release of Mrs. De-Freitas’ medical report, while seeking for a re-evaluation of the medical licence of the healthcare centre by the Lagos State Ministry of Health.

The petition read in part, “We have cried to the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, imploring him to conduct an independent investigation on this matter, but till now, nothing has been done, despite our efforts.

“We cried to the Office of the Attorney General of Lagos State with a view to getting justice, yet, no response from them. We have written to the hospital in the most conciliatory tone to explain to the family what transpired and they clearly ignored us. You are our last hope as you are her true representative.

“Our client is husband to Mrs. Chiamaka Glory De-Freitas, nee Nwoke (now deceased). The couple lived in Lagos happily until the cold hands of death snatched the wife away through the instruments of Medical Art Centre, Lagos State. She died on March 26, 2017.”

The petitioner alleged that the hospital, after conducting a caesarian section on the woman, conducted a second surgery on her to stop her from the bleeding that followed the first operation, but without her husband’s consent.

Senator Benjamin Uwajumogwu (APC, Imo-North), who presented the petition to the Senate on Wednesday, told journalists that the lawmakers would conduct a public hearing on the matter to ascertain what actually led to the woman’s death.

Uwajumogu, who said the deceased was his constituent, said the Senate would ascertain the circumstances surrounding her death, including inviting the Lagos State Government and the state’s police command.

The lawmaker further said the Senate would also investigate if the doctors who conducted the surgery on Chiamaka were qualified and if the hospital should be held liable for her death.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Olarinde Famous-Cole did not pick his call when contacted on Saturday

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Source: Punchng
Portuguese petitions N’Assembly over wife’s death

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