By SHOLA OJO

This is my personal experience of November 4 2023 when we needed urgent medical attention at about 3:00 am (at 44NARH) and 3:35 am (BDTH) all within the heart of Kaduna – a Nigerian state located in the Northwestern part of the country.

After eight years of our solemnisation with much prayer and effort, God remembered us we became expectant parents. My wife and I. We took everything from the spiritual and physical realms about our baby very seriously after all, we waited for her.

On that Saturday, Nov 4 at about the time I mentioned, we raced down to these two hospitals at breakneck speed to save the mother and our very precious gift whose time to be introduced into the World was due.

Behold, there was no doctor on duty at the maternity section of the imaginary discipline hospital like 44NARF because of the antecedent of its owner – The great Nigerian Army known for its high level of professionalism laced with discipline.

I remember we met two nurses at the facility who advised us to move to another hospital. The two of them suggested Barau Dikko. Though they felt concerned, but, this was not about “push” “push” delivery they could possibly handle"

Again, we raced down to Barau Dikko. On getting there at about 3:25 a.m. that same day, I was moving from one unit to the other banging on the doors and shouting “anyone here” “any doctor or nurse on duty”. There was a pin-drop silence all over the place except for a few people who were fast asleep on the hospital terrace. I suspect they were also stranded Nigerians in need of help.

At about that time, my loving wife was already getting tired. She was trying not to show it by singing praises. My wife is a child of God. She cares and loves people around her to a fault. She was singing just to keep our hope alive. That also helped in fixing my eyes on our maker, especially after being faithful in my marriage for eight years and eight months.

I forgot to add that, then, I was confused. I became blank on what next to do. The thought of visiting other medical facilities seized.

At one point, I remembered I had some contacts who work at Barau Dikko. Luckily for me, I still have enough credit to put calls through. The first person that came to my mind was Dr. Stephen Kache.

I knew Dr. Kache when he was the Chairman of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA), Kaduna State Branch a few years ago. Apart from the fact that he was a good newsmaker around health which is one of the areas I report seamlessly, I have consulted him in one of our efforts towards natural conception.

So, I called him. But because he is a man, he failed me. He did not pick up his call nor did he deem it fit to return the call several hours after considering the time the call came in.

Again, I call Dr. Abrak who incidentally is the current President of the Association of Resident Doctors in the facility. He also failed me. He did not pick up his call when his help was most desired to save my wife and our precious gift from above.

However, he called in the morning to apologise saying he was tired having been performing surgical operations since Monday. Dr Abrak is a young surgeon with a workload as a staff of Barau Dikko, a teaching hospital that was supposed to be a lifesaver turning into a death trap. I learned its staff leaves in droves due to poor working environment and poor remuneration.

Again, I remembered Dr Caleb who works in the maternity unit of the hospital. I tried his number but I could not get him. Like I said, I was becoming too unconscious not knowing what to do next.

Ashmed to the rescue

It is but too true that we had our antenatal at Ashmed Specialist Hospital, Agwa New Extension by Power plant – a short distance from Flour Mill.

This is possibly one of the finest medical facilities where they don't know what is called a blackout due to steady internal electricity arrangement 24/7.

Water too is constant which is while the hospital is free of offensive odor usually associated with some health facilities. This means, the facility practices water sanitation and health.

Earlier at Ashmed, Doctor Uche, who was on duty when got there around 1:30 a.m. could not perform a caesarian session (CS) to save my wife and our baby.

He made an effort by putting a call to his superior (I was not privy to the name) who could not pick up his call for unknown reasons. As we were doing that, time was ticking and I know what that means. We could not continue to wait to hear from a man whose phone rang five times without a response.

That was what took us to 44NARH where we were disappointed big time. How could there not be a doctor on duty in such a health facility? And these guys will be asking for hazard allowances without working for it?

While at Barau Dikko, God dropped the idea of calling one Dr. Thompson who works at Ashmed. At a dial, he picked up and asked us to return to Ashmed Hospital that he too would be leaving his house at Mahuta, off Ibrahim Yakowa bypass, Kaduna.

Calculating the distance between Mahuta to Agwa New Extension as well as the distance between Barau Dikko to the same address, I realised I needed to drive to stay alive. The idea of trying St Gerald which is just on our way did not occur to me.

We arrived like five minutes ahead of him. As soon as he came in, he directed the nurse on duty to immediately prepare my wife for the theatre.

That was around a few minutes past 4 O'clock. By 6:04 a.m., the nurses who were together with Dr. Thomson shouted “attendants!” twice, indicating that the surgery was over.

All this while, I could not sit, I could not stand. Was walking around praying for God who started His work to perfect it through these health workers.

At 6:10 a.m., the theatre doors were open, and a stretcher was taken in by the two attendants. Ordinarily, I was expecting to hear the cry of a baby but none.

Again, I was expecting the nurses and attendant going in and out of the theatre to say to me 'congratulations', but again, nothing of such.

Honestly, by that time, I became more apprehensive but kept praying and hoping for the best. Then, they brought my wife on the stretch with a drip stand being held like a priest boy by one of the attendants

Of course, anesthesia would have been injected into her before the operation to prevent her from instantly feeling the pain associated with it. Thank God, the operation was successful. My wife came out alive. But, my girl could not survive it. We lost her just like that.

No prolonged labour, nothing. We did not miss any antenatal and recommended scanning. They later called me to come and see my gift. I saw her. She looked just like her father. I could not tell my wife that our baby who we saw kicking a few hours before the whole episode was no more.

I beheld the child and tears freely rolled down my cheeks even when I needed to pretend to my wife that all was well. After a few hours, my wife was regaining her consciousness.

I was by her bed. Holding her hands and speaking to her therapeutically to fast-track her recovery process. I have watched this idea severally in movies. I applied it and it worked.

As soon as her eyelids moved, she asked faintly "Ademi (meaning my crown), where is my baby". I was not expecting that question so I could not come up with a convincing response as the tear drops.

I then summoned courage and told her that the nurses were getting her baby ready for onward initiation to breastfeeding within an hour of birth.

That was how I kept applying wisdom until about 40 hours later when we let the cat out of the bag. She wept bitterly. Luckily, I have several well-wishers who joined me in persuading her to hope for the best.

In all our travail, we were constantly being reminded that God is God and He is very much with us in our circumstances. This time around, He worked through Ashmed Specialist Hospital, Kaduna. Some nurses and attendants at the facility which time and space will not permit me to mention did wonderfully well. Family is everything. This time around, we found this family in our homes, workplaces, and worship places.

To our daughter who we could not save, please forgive us. We did all we could but the system in our land failed all of us. We hope you will represent us well above there being an innocent soul who lived in the womb for nine months. Daddy loves you. Mummy loves you. Your maker loves you more.

I just wish to pen these few words pending the time I will be writing a book on this short but unforgettable experience at 44NARH and Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital on November 4, 2023. The experience showed that these self-acclaimed strong hospitals in Kaduna have times when they don't make sense!

•Shola Ojo writes from Kaduna.

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