Reps probe death at Abuja FMC

Circumstances surrounding the death of Paul Egbon a patient who died at the Federal Medical Centre Jabi in Abuja.

At  the plenary on Thursday. Members of the House, Sergius Ogun and Julius Ihonvbere, called for the probe via a motion that was unanimously adopted by the lawmakers.

Ogun’s motion was titled, ‘Need to Investigate the Death of Mr. Paul Egbon, an Outpatient of Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja.’

Moving the motion, Ogun noted that Section 4(2) of the 1999 Constitution empowers the National Assembly to make laws for the order and good government of the federation or any part thereof. He also cited Section 88 (1) and (2) of the Constitution as empowering the federal parliament to conduct investigations into the activities of any authority executing or administering laws made by the National Assembly.

He said, “The House is informed that on 15th October, 2022, Mr Paul Egbon, an outpatient of Federal Medical Centre, Jabi, Abuja, died of cardiac arrest after he was sent home from the medical centre.

“The House is worried that the medical centre sent the patient home without proper medical examination and treatment due to the fact that he was adjudged to have come late to the hospital to complain of severe chest pain.

“The House is also worried that the doctor who attended to the deceased prescribed pain-killer medication and recommended him for an Electrocardiogram test and subsequently asked him to go home and come back the next day because it was late.

“The House is disturbed that the decision of the laboratory staff to send him home without conducting the recommended ECG test and prescribing pain-killer medication was an act of gross incompetence and dereliction of duty which led to his sudden death.”

Adopting the motion, the House resolved to “mandate Committee on Health Institutions to investigate the basis for the decision to send Mr. Paul Egbon home instead of conducting the ECG test and administering proper treatment the day he came for treatment, and report back within four weeks for further legislative action.”

(Punch)