John said his wife, Mrs Akudo John, aged 32, died on December 4 following complications from childbirth at the private hospital.
He disclosed this on Wednesday, December 17, during a press conference at the International Press Centre, Ogba, Lagos State, demanding accountability and justice.
He said: “My wife went into that hospital healthy and alive. She did not come out alive.”
According to him, his wife delivered their baby through Spontaneous Vaginal Delivery (SVD) on December 3.
He said she later died from haemorrhagic shock, a claim said to have been supported by an autopsy report from Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH).
John alleged gross medical negligence, delayed response and poor clinical judgment by the hospital’s medical team.
He said doctors failed to act promptly when his wife’s condition deteriorated after delivery, adding that medical personnel refused to refer his wife to a specialist facility despite clear signs of distress.
He stated: “My wife and I registered for antenatal care at 13 weeks and attended faithfully until delivery.”
He said the family paid ₦450,000 for antenatal care, excluding additional tests conducted externally on the hospital’s advice.
John added that concerns were raised in the third trimester about the baby’s large size.
“I asked about an elective Caesarean Section because of the baby’s size,” he added.
According to him, the consultant, Dr Joseph Yahaya, dismissed the concerns and assured them vaginal delivery was safe.
“These repeated assurances formed the basis of our trust in their professional judgment,” he said.
John said his wife delivered vaginally, as he added that he paid nearly ₦1.2 million in total hospital bills.
He said the baby weighed 4.2 kilogrammes, which medical experts classify as foetal macrosomia.
He however alleged that his wife began bleeding severely shortly after delivery.
“She complained of an internal flow of liquid before the bleeding became uncontrollable,” he said.
He stated that after a second suturing procedure, his wife appeared pale, unconscious, and lifeless for several hours.
“The consultant admitted there was internal bleeding, yet no referral was made,” John alleged.
John said five pints of blood were transfused without first identifying the bleeding source, adding that the hospital ambulance was unavailable when urgent transfer became necessary.
According to him, there was a 15-hour window between delivery and his wife’s death, while also alleging negligence during evacuation from the hospital.
He disclosed that while being stretchered, his wife fell from the stretcher onto the tiled walkway on the third floor.
John alleged that when the hospital issued a death certificate, it cited cardiac arrest as the cause of death, saying this contradicted the LUTH autopsy report which stated haemorrhagic shock.
He therefore called for a thorough investigation and sanctions against those responsible, urging the MDCN to investigate the doctors’ professional conduct and enforce disciplinary measures.
However, the hospital, in a swift reaction, rejected the allegations.
Professor Jude Okohue, a gynaecologist in the hospital, said all necessary medical steps were taken.
He said two hospital staff donated blood in efforts to save Mrs John.
“The bleeding was not related to delivery, and she did not bleed for 15 hours,” Okohue said.
He said doctors allowed vaginal delivery in spite of family pressure for a Caesarean Section.
Okohue disputed the haemorrhagic shock diagnosis, as he said the bleeding originated from the anus, not the vagina.
According to him, an autopsy showed intestinal diverticulosis as the cause of death, as he added that the condition was not related to childbirth.
Okohue said the hospital welcomed a coroner’s inquest, as it has nothing to hide and had committed no infraction.
He added that he led the management of the hospital to visit the family after the incident and sympathised with them, adding that he was surprised by the public allegations and renewed calls for investigation.
