I lost my first grandchild as a result of Govt hospital negligence—Senate president, Akpabio

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio has said that his first grandchild died of medical neglect in a federal government hospital.

Akpabio, who spoke on Friday during the screening of the Lagos state ministerial nominee, Dr Tunji Alausa, revealed that he was once a victim of medical negligence.

His words: “Like every other person, I have been a victim of medical neglect. I lost my first grandchild in 2019 in a federal medical centre.

“He died through bleeding. He was receiving drip and it was tissued (blocked) in the night. There was no help, no doctor, no nurse.

“He bled until he lost over 60 percent of his blood and was almost going mental, he struggled and fell on the floor., he was looking for water to drink. “He rolled on the floor outside and entered the early morning dew, and poured the dew all over his body, and that was where they found him.”

Akpabio said his grandchild was found the next morning in a coma and efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
“By that time, he had gone into a coma. I was on my way to Port Harcourt for the 2019 rally when they called me.
“I entered there and struggled with the doctor to revive him. They went and brought a defibrillator to attempt to revive the heart, but it did not work.”

The Senate President said he gathered that the defibrillator stopped working eight years ago.

“I used my hand and struggled with my personal physician, I could not revive him. I had to close his eyes and put him in the mortuary,” he said.

Opinions of Nigerians on Akpabio loss is that while they sympathize with him on the death of the innocent child they said it could be pay back time for public officers like him who loot government money that is supposed to be used for efficient and well equipped hospital!

It will be recalled that before Akpabio left office in 2015 he boasted to have built a world class hospital in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state but few months after leaving office he had a minor accident and was flown abroad for medical treatment.

Akpabio is also currently having cases with the EFCC on charges of corruption and embezzlement of public funds while serving as Akwa Ibom governor from 2007-2015.