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By Tracy Moses
The death of a Kano-based housewife, Aishatu Umar, following months of severe post-surgical complications at the Abubakar Imam Urology Centre has triggered public outrage and renewed scrutiny of patient safety standards in the state’s healthcare system.
Aishatu, a mother of five, died at about 1:00 a.m. on Tuesday after enduring persistent abdominal pain allegedly linked to a surgical procedure carried out at the specialist hospital in September. She is survived by her husband and children.
Family members said the surgery was meant to address an illness she developed several months earlier. Instead, they claimed her condition worsened almost immediately after the operation, with intense abdominal pain that never subsided.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Abubakar Mohammed said Aishatu returned to the urology centre repeatedly over a four-month period, complaining of worsening pain and discomfort.
According to him, hospital officials allegedly limited their response to prescribing pain-relief medication, without conducting thorough investigations to identify the cause of her deteriorating condition.
The Abubakar Imam Urology Centre, a public health facility in Kano, offers specialised urological and surgical services to patients from within the state and neighbouring regions. Like many government-owned specialist hospitals across Nigeria, the centre operates under heavy patient load, limited specialist manpower and overstretched surgical facilities—challenges that have continued to raise concerns about post-operative monitoring and patient safety.
The family alleged that it was only two days before Aishatu’s death that comprehensive tests and scans were finally carried out. The results, they claimed, revealed that a pair of surgical scissors had been left inside her abdomen during the September operation.
They said arrangements were being made for a corrective surgery following the discovery, but her condition deteriorated rapidly before the procedure could be performed. She died in the early hours of Tuesday.
Describing the incident as a grave violation of medical ethics and safety standards, the family accused the hospital of negligence and demanded a full investigation by the Kano State Government and relevant health regulatory bodies.
They said the case underscored broader concerns about post-surgical care, internal safety protocols and accountability mechanisms in public healthcare facilities, stressing that justice must be served for the deceased and her family.
Confirming the development, the ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Nabilusi Abubakar, said officials were already deliberating on the matter and would address the public shortly.
“We are currently holding a meeting on the issue, and we intend to call a press conference shortly to address it,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, Pointblanknews.com gathered that the Kano State Ministry of Health had convened an emergency meeting to review the incident and determine the next course of action.