How doctors murdered my wife, baby – Johnny de Goodman

Friday, November 11, 2022 11:51 am

Johnny de Goodman and his wife

By Nehru Odeh

A Port Harcourt-based man, Johnny de Goodman, accused medics at St Martins Hospital Port Harcourt of killing his pregnant wife and their unborn baby out of negligence.

In a post that has gone viral on social media entitled “You must pay for taking my wife away from me, killing our baby and exterminating my generation,” Goodman said he took his wife to the hospital on 6 November to have their baby and the doctor told him his wife needed to be dilated 10cm before she would be taken to the delivery room as she was 5cm dilated and already in labour.

“By 2 am, the doctor came to observe her and burst her water bag,” he wrote.

Goodman explained that by the morning of the following day the doctor said the baby was in distress and had defecated in the womb, adding that there would be complications if surgery wasn’t conducted.

He also said he and his wife, who was hale and hearty by the time they got to the hospital, gave their consent immediately. But an hour after, his wife had not been wheeled in for surgery.

“The doctor kept on delaying in commencing with the operation without any viable reason except that the gynaecologist and the team of doctors that would operate need to arrive at the theatre,” Goodman maintained.

He later saw the doctor signing over to another doctor by 6 am. And when he inquired, the doctor told him his shift was over. The doctor also told him that his wife may not need surgery.

“I asked him about the operation that he suggested, and he said it will soon commence and told me that they may also reconsider her delivery normally without being operated.

“I asked further if there was no cause for alarm considering the previous report he gave, and he said there was nothing to worry about.”

His wife finally walked into the theatre for surgery by 8:15 am, more than three hours after the previous doctor said she needed surgery urgently.

By 11 am, he said he was informed that his wife’s heart stopped beating after they gave her drugs in preparation for the surgery.

“How can a woman (her heart) that came into the hospital full of health and physically strong automatically stop beating immediately after she was administered drugs on?” Goodman asked.

“The doctors failed to bring out the baby from her womb even after when they confirmed to me that the baby was still alive in the womb

“The operation was not done, my wife gone, baby gone.

“They abandoned me, my wife’s lifeless body, our innocent unborn baby in the theatre without anybody coming to give even a word of sympathy let alone explain to me what happened till this moment I write to the whole world.

“Human lives mean nothing to Nigerian Hospitals and their incompetent Doctors.

“Value for Humans’ lives is like mere laboratory tools to them.

“St Martins Hospital Port Harcourt must pay for taking my wife away from me, killing our baby and exterminating my generation,” Goodman lamented.

Here is the full text of Goodman’s complaint.

You must pay for taking my wife away from me, killing our baby and exterminating my generation – Johnny De Goodman

My wife was pregnant, Her due date was 29th October. She has passed her EDD as she was 40 weeks plus 3 days due. She went for her routine check-up and did a scan last week Tuesday, 1st November 2022. The scan results confirmed that the baby’s mother and child were all in perfect condition.

The doctor told her if she does not go into natural labour between that Tuesday till the end of the week, she should come with her bags the following week to be manually induced into labour.

So on Sunday night 6th November 2022 at about past 11 pm she started having stomach pains.

Then we proceeded to the hospital.

We got to the hospital by midnight and the doctor available told her she was 5 cm dilated and was already in labour.

They said she would need to get to 10cm dilated before she will be taken to the delivery room.

By 2 am, the doctor came to observe her and burst her water bag.

At about 5 am the doctor told me that the baby was in distress and dedicated in my wife’s womb and said that if the baby stays any longer in the womb it will pose some future health threat to the child when delivered or the child might likely die in the womb. And recommended her for an operation. I and my wife gave our consent immediately.

The doctor kept on delaying in commencing with the operation without any viable reason except that the gynaecologist and the team of doctors that would operate needed to arrive at the theatre.

By past 6 am, I went again to meet the doctor to know why they are yet to commence the operation, I met him handing over to another consultant, asked him if he was leaving and he said he was done for the day. I asked him about the operation that he suggested, and he said it will soon commence and told me that they may also reconsider her delivering normally without being operated.

I asked further if there was no cause for alarm considering the previous report he gave, and he said there was nothing to worry about.

8.15 am my wife, walked into the theatre for the operation.

By past 11 am, they came to tell me that they gave her drugs to prepare her for the operation and after some minutes, her heart stopped beating, and her pulse stopped responding.

How can a woman that came into the hospital full of health and physically strong automatically stop beating immediately after she was administered drugs on????

The doctors failed to bring out the baby from her womb even after when they confirmed to me that the baby was still alive in the womb

The operation was not done, my wife gone, baby gone.

They abandoned me, my wife’s lifeless body, and our innocent unborn baby in the theatre without anybody coming to give even a word of sympathy let alone explain to me what happened till this moment I write to the whole world.

Human lives mean nothing to Nigerian Hospitals and their incompetent Doctors.

value for Humans’ lives is like mere laboratory tools to them.

St Martins Hospital Portharcourt must pay for taking my wife away from me, killing our baby and exterminating my generation.