How I lost my father to hospital negligence — Ex gov Umahi

• Umahi disclosed that his late father was taken to a government hospital when he was ill
• He said the doctor that treated his father referred him to a private hospital owned by the medical practitioner where he died

Former Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State, has shared his own unfortunate experience with the much criticised Nigerian health sector.

Umahi narrated how his father died of negligence of medical personnel at an undisclosed private hospital.

Umahi, the lawmaker representing Ebonyi South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, recounted the incident during the screening of Mariya Mahmoud, a ministerial nominee from Kano State.

He said “My father died because of the negligence of that private hospital,”

Mahmoud, a former Commissioner for Higher Education in Kano State, introduced herself as a medical doctor and public health practitioner.

She was President Bola Tinubu’s substitution for Maryam Shetty, another female nominee from Kano who was dropped in a dramatic twist of events last Friday.

During her screening on Monday, Umahi, who is also one of the 48 ministerial nominees of the President earlier screened, asked Mahmoud to tell the Senate how she intends to curb situations of conflict of interest where doctors in government hospitals also have private medical centres.

The Senator disclosed that his late father was taken to a government hospital when he was ill and was treated by a doctor but the doctor referred his late father to a private hospital owned by the medical practitioner.

Umahi claimed his father died of the negligence of the medical personnel at the private hospital.

Mahmoud agreed with Umahi, saying that doctors in government hospitals moonlighting at private medical centres affect the quality of healthcare in society.

“It is something we have to look into and see what are the things to be done to strengthen the issue.”