Family accuses hospital of negligence

The deceased needed an urgent care after she was shot by a policeman Benjamin Peters, hours before a passing out parade for members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

According to Punch News, Igwetu's family has faulted a statement released by Garki General Hospital in the aftermath of her death.

Her sister Chinenye who lamented on Twitter after learning about her passing insists that an autopsy carried out at the National Hospital, Abuja contradicts the statement explaining the cause of death and efforts made by the Garki General Hospital in a bid to revive her.

“The autopsy was carried out at a national hospital and the report is totally different from what the hospital said.

“I am not a doctor, but according to the doctors that carried out the autopsy, she was not properly examined.

“The report shows that she would have been saved if proper medical attention had been given to her. Even if she was attended to, it is definitely after a lot of delay.

“Based on the autopsy, the bullet was not supposed to kill her. In fact, all her organs were intact. Even her lung that was brushed by the bullet was not shattered.

"It was the blood that was clotting from the bullet injury that killed her.

“The pipes that they inserted into her at the hospital broke her rib as well. They brought her in by 3am and she died at 6am.

"So what did they do between that time frame?," Chinenye asks in a report by Punch.

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Family of the deceased want answers

Simphil Associates, a counsel to the family of deceased has submitted a petition to the police asking it to probe the Garki General Hospital for perceived negligence.

“We are solicitors to Chief Geoffrey Igwetu (hereinafter referred to as our client), the father to the late Angela Nkechi Igwetu who died on July 4, 2018, at the Garki Hospital, within the jurisdiction of the FCT Command.

“According to our client, his daughter, late Nkechi, was allegedly shot about 3.05am along the road of the CEDI plaza, Central Business District, Abuja, and within five minutes of the incident, she was rushed to the Garki Hospital, Abuja, for medical attention.

"Surprisingly, the hospital refused to promptly administer the treatment on the grounds that the family must deposit N50,000 before any medical service would be rendered to her.

"They reportedly rejected an offer of transfer of the said sum to their account and insisted on production of the money in cash.

“The family claimed that the hospital watched its daughter died slowly, adding that after the Divisional Police Officer of the Central Area Police Division reportedly deposited N20,000 with the promise of personally ensuring the payment of the balance of N30,000, the hospital still refused to conduct medical examination on Angela.

“We are still in shock that after five days of the death of late Nkechi, the Garki General Hospital released a report, dated July 9, 2018, claiming among other issues that there was no ‘exit wound’ on her. Unbelievable!!!

“The condition/demand by the said hospital as pre-condition before the late Nkechi could be treated and the eventual refusal/neglect to give her the required medical treatment is contrary to the provisions of the Compulsory Treatment and Care of Victims of Gunshots Act signed into law by the President and Commander in Chief of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on December 20, 2017.

“In view of the above, it is our brief to demand that you investigate the above allegations for the possible prosecution of the Chief Medical Director (CMD) and other staff of the hospital on duty on the early hours of July 4, 2018, for their failure to comply with the extant laws that will make it compulsory that people in the situation such as late Miss Nkechi found herself are treated promptly.

“Our client strongly believes that prompt medical care could have saved the life of his daughter, late Angela Nkechi Igwetu," the petition reads.