Quack Doctor Removes Patients Kidney While Curing Headache

Before
setting out in search of the clinic, both father and son had been told
that it was the best that they could get in the metropolis.

If only they had known!
The
person who attended to the duo and presented himself as the Chief
Medical Director (CMD) of the clinic, assisted by another “doctor” went
beyond incredulity. It has now been discovered that the CMD and his
“junior” physician are nurses in the hospital.

In a bizarre case that raises posers about their motive, the suspected impersonators removed the headache patient’s kidney.

Mallam
Ahamdu, a Fulani from Bununu in Tafawa Balewa Local Government area of
the state, had inquired about the best hospital to seek treatment for
his son. He was directed to a private clinic which was located at the
Yakubu Wanka area of the metropolis.

Unknown to him, the clinic was that day in the care of human butchers.

At the clinic, both father and son met one Mijinyawa, who introduced himself as “Dr. Abdukadir Abdullahi,
the medical director.” With him to attend to the patient was one Yusuf
Mohammed Zangina, who also presented himself as a medical doctor.

The
father told the Nigerian Compass on Sunday that the “doctor” asked a
few questions from his son and thereafter directed that a scan be
conducted for a proper check of his health status.

Ahamdu said
that immediately they returned from the scan centre, and without asking
for any payment, ‘Doctor’ Minjinywa directed that his son be wheeled to
the surgical room.
The surgery nearly claimed the son’s life.

“When
we came back from the scan centre, and without asking me for money, the
“doctor” went ahead to carry out the operation on my son’s life. The
only money I was asked to pay was N10, 000 which he said was for drugs.”

He
continued: “Anxiously, I was expecting that my son’s health would
improve after the operation. It only deteriorated. The so-called
‘doctor,’ who also discovered that things were going out of hands,
quickly referred Abubakar to the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano
for further treatment”.

The father stressed it was at this point
that he began to doubt the competence of the doctor. “He asked us to go
to Kano and refused to send us to the nearby Abubakar Tafawa Balewa
University Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH), Bauchi for further treatment.

“By
the time I took Abubakar to Kano, I had spent all money on me and I
discovered that I could no longer bear the burden of the treatment. I
intimated doctors there of my predicament and they wrote a letter to
ATBUTH in Bauchi to commence the treatment.”

Buba said that on return to Bauchi, the Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the ATBUTH, Dr. Mohammed Alkali,
who learnt of his predicament, directed that his son be admitted and
treated free of charge. Now, Abubakar is going through dialysis at the
ATBUTH.

The father disclosed that doctors told him that Abubakar
needs N5million for kidney transplant in India if he is to stand a
chance of survival.

Meanwhile, the Bauchi State chapter of the
Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has disowned Minjiywa. A panel set up
by the association, headed by one Dr. Magaji Dachi, to investigate
matter has described the action of the suspected fake physician as
unprofessional.

The panel’s report read in part stated: “The
removal of the two kidneys of the patient at an operation in a private
clinic was performed not by a doctor, not under the supervision of a
doctor, not under the authority of any doctor and not with the knowledge
of the Medical Director of the clinic. The operation was carried out by
two theatre nurses working in the clinic.”

The panel expressed
hopes that a judicial action on the nurses would bring an end to
unnecessary misadventures on human lives in the state.

The NMA’s
state chairman, Dr Yusuf Abdu Misau, advised people to know the type of
doctors they patronise since there are about 400 qualified doctors
serving in government and private health institutions in the state and
over 35,000 members across the country.

Respite seems on the way
for Abubakar as the Bauchi State government has pledged to pay N3.5
million out of the total bill of N5 million including transport fare to
India. His relations have also promised to pay the balance of Nl .5
million.

The police have arrested and arraigned the two nurses at
the Bauchi Chief Magistrates’ Court, on a four-count charge of criminal
conspiracy, attempt to commit culpable homicide, causing grievous hurt
and impersonation.

While reading out the allegations, the Police
prosecutor, Sergeant Amos Ukpe, said the offences were contrary to
Section 132 of the Penal Code.

The court granted the fake doctor
bail in the sum of N2 million with two sureties each in like sum, while
one of the sureties should have a landed property worth N10 million in
the court’s jurisdiction, the Certificate of Occupation (C of O) of
which must be deposited with the court registry.

The bail,
according to Chief Magistrate Isah Muhammed, was granted on the ground
of the accused person’s old age and health condition, ordering that he
must, however, drop his international passport with the Criminal
Investigation Department (CID) of the state police command and must not
travel outside of Bauchi Local Government Area of the state without the
consent of the court and the CID.

The Bauchi State Ministry of
Health has sealed up the clinic where the illegal operation was
performed. It suspended the clinic’s operating license pending the
outcome of investigations into allegation of professional misconduct
leveled against its owners. It specifically set up a panel to
investigate the circumstances surrounding the removal of Abubakar’s
kidneys.

Investigation revealed that as the health of Abubakar
has continued to deteriorate while the money promised by the Bauchi
State government to take him for kidney transplant in India was yet to
be released as at last Friday, August 31.

All efforts to confirm
the position of things from the Bauchi State Commissioner of Health, Dr.
Sani Mallami, proved abortive calls to his telephone lines were not
picked.