The Kebbi State Government has set up a committee to investigate videos of a newborn baby that lost a limb allegedly due to a medical error at Zuru General Hospital, Zuru Local Government, as claimed in the video making trending online.

A statement by Aisha Augie-Kuta, Senior Special Adviser (SSA) on New Media to Governor Atiku Bagudu, on Tuesday in Birnin Kebbi, said the governor gave the order immediately after viewing the worrisome photographs and video interview of a man who claimed to be a relative to the child which has been in circulation online on Sunday, April 23, 2017.

Bala Ibn Na’Allah, deputy senate leader representing Kebbi South (the area where the incident occurred) had earlier taken over the full medical treatment of the baby after viewing the video.

The Senator said he has already directed a team to transport mother and baby from their village in Danko to Federal Medical Center (FMC) for full medical attention.

“The team are already on their way now with both mother and baby to FMC as a priority to save a life,” he said.

Nana Ajayi, the relation of the baby who spoke on the video, said the doctor first told the family that the baby was dead, hence the need to cut off the limb of the baby to save the mother.

The relative, who also spoke with our reporter, said that the error occurred at General Hospital in Zuru, Kebbi State, during a delivery procedure.

“But the doctor later asked a nurse to call me again to say that after cutting off one of the limb that caused the complication, he discovered that, the baby is still alive.

“We were later discharged and left in our own fate to continue looking after our mutilated baby at home. We have also petitioned the State Government to investigate our plight as we seek justice,” Mr. Ajayi said.

The committee set up by the government include high level medical doctors, legal and security personnel charged with getting the full information on the story for further action.

The SSA to the Governor said the investigation is to ensure that issues of medical malpractice is ascertained and if that being the case, it should be prosecuted to ensure that it does not happen again in the future.

“Medical malpractice is professional negligence by act or omission by a health care provider in which the treatment provided falls below the accepted standard of practice in the medical community and causes injury or death to the patient, with most cases involving medical error.

“The Governor strongly believes that the primary responsibility of any government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens and says it is disheartening to see the photographs of a newborn in such a manner,” Ms. Augie-Kuta said.

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