The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly on Monday, 1st September, 2025, stormed the General Hospital at Ikot Ekpene Local Government Area to investigate the death of a pregnant woman and her newborn – a tragedy that has sparked outrage across the State, after “a video surfaced online, showing the family in distress with no doctor on hand to attend to them”.
The Assembly’s Committee on Health Chaired by Hon. Moses Essien, arrived at the hospital unannounced, insisting that Lawmakers could not treat lightly an incident that had cast the State’s healthcare delivery in poor light.
At the hospital, the delegation was received by a representative of the Hospital Management Board alongside the Permanent Secretary, Abraham InyangUdo. They admitted the Lawmakers’ visit was prompted by the viral incident which drew widespread condemnation. The viral video was posted by the sister to the deceased, Ndifreke Amos on her Facebook account.
The Chief Medical Superintendent, Dr Nene Andem explained that at the time of the incident on Saturday, 30th August, 2025, the hospital had four doctors working on a 12-hour shifts and that she was only present on that day for an engineering inspection of the X-ray department at the Commissioner for Health, Dr Ekem John’s instruction, not for medical duties. She added that at that time, when she got wind of the incident, she made steps to ensuring that modalities were on ground to enable adequate medical care for the deceased.
After pressing for more information, the Health Committee Chairman, Essien gathered that Dr Mfon Thomas, the first doctor on call, documented the deceased patient’s condition – bleeding suspected to be placenta previa – and sought a second opinion from Dr Enobong Udota, the second doctor on call. However, Dr Enobong Udota was absent, leaving Dr EtoroAbasi Okon to stand in.
Dr EtoroAbasi Okon who was not enlisted for duty on that Saturday, arrived at the hospital about two hours after he was first contacted by Udota and one hour after another call by a Nurse, which the said call revealed the deceased was still bleeding. The Consultant, Obstetric and Gynaecologist, Dr Ekerette Dan, the third doctor on call, was said to have not been informed of the situation.
Despite registering for antenatal services and having no prior complications, the expectant mother did not receive timely intervention. “By the time the caesarean section was eventually performed, her baby had died. She later passed on due to excessive bleeding, though initially stabilised after the surgery”, recounted Dr Okon.
Hon. Moses Essien lamented that while the hospital boasts of adequate facilities, government funding and cleanliness, the absence of a doctor at the critical hour, pointed squarely to negligence.
Essien warned that the Assembly would not treat the incident as a routine lapse: “we cannot tolerate negligence that costs lives. Those responsible must face sanctions. Our oversight today, is to uncover the root cause and ensure justice for the deceased and her family.
“This tragedy has been traced to personal negligence by a doctor on call who failed to turn up for duty. Therefore, this was not about lack of resources. It was about dereliction of responsibility. A doctor abandoned his duty and lives were lost. We will recommend appropriate directives to prevent recurrence and ensure accountability”, emphasised the Committee Chairman.
Speaking before the Lawmakers, Permanent Secretary of the Hospital Management Board, Abraham InyangUdo confirmed the hospital’s call duty protocol: the first and second on-call doctors are required to be on site, while the third, a Consultant, may be off premises but reachable. He admitted that in this case, the system failed.
“We apologise deeply to the bereaved family, to the House of Assembly and to His Excellency the Governor. The Governor is health-friendly and has already directed a high-powered inquiry. We recognise the pain caused and assure the public of full accountability”.
InyangUdo also acknowledged the general challenges faced by doctors in secondary health facilities but conceded that this incident went beyond routine difficulties.
The Ikot Ekpene General Hospital incident, which claimed the lives of a mother and her baby, has ignited a storm of questions over professionalism in the State’s health sector. While facilities remain in place, the oversight visit has laid bare how negligence rather than resource shortage can deal a fatal blow.
The Assembly’s final report after the Commissioner for Health’s appearance before the Committee on Health on Wednesday, 3rd September, 2025 and the Governor’s commission of inquiry are now awaited, with the public demanding answers and justice.
