The Silent Tragedy: Effects and Impacts of Negligence by Medical Practitioners on Well-being of Society — A Case Study of Calabar Maternal Issues

A Research Report on the Impacts and Effects of Medical Practitioners' Negligence on Society: A Case Study of Maternal Problems in Calabar

Introduction

Health is a major contributor to the stability and development of any society. A healthy population guarantees economic growth, social cohesion, and future prosperity. But when healthcare delivery is threatened—especially through the negligence of medical practitioners—the implications are disastrous. In Calabar, the Cross River State capital, maternal healthcare has been gravely undermined by systemic failure, lack of concern, and professional indifference. This report discusses the causes, effects, and consequences of medical negligence on maternal health in Calabar and the general implications for families and communities.

Understanding Medical Negligence

Medical negligence is where medical professionals fail to meet the standard of care expected, and this results in harm to the patient. In maternity services, this negligence may manifest in many ways:

• Failure to monitor the mother and baby during labour
• Misdiagnosis or delay in diagnosing complications
• Unhygienic operating theatres during Caesarean sections
• Delayed referral to specialist services
• Poor postnatal care

These practices not only risk mothers but also expose newborns. In Calabar, these mistakes have become systematized, particularly in public hospitals.

Maternal Health in Calabar: A Troubled Picture

Calabar has classically been seen as an organized town, but its health system, particularly in the area of maternal care, is under significant strain. The majority of public hospitals are underfunded and understaffed. Private clinics, however, although better outfitted, are usually too expensive for the ordinary woman.

This is compounded by patriarchal social norms and values that exclude women from making independent healthcare decisions, especially in rural areas. A combination of ignorance, poor infrastructure, and medical negligence makes it a risky place for pregnant women.

The Effects of Medical Negligence on Maternal Health

Maternal Deaths

In the majority of Calabar hospitals, women have lost their lives at the time of delivery due to delayed medical treatment. In a 2022 report by a local NGO, the maternal mortality rate in Cross River State was higher than the national rate, and most of the time, the cause of death could have been prevented. Delayed treatment, negligence, and poor decision-making on the part of medical personnel were the errors blamed.

Permanent Physical Damage

Some of those who survive child neglect develop lasting complications such as obstetric fistulas. Obstetric fistulas are painful holes between the bladder or rectum and the birth canal caused by prolonged labour and poor treatment. Such women often get abandoned by their families and shunned from society.

Emotional and Mental Trauma

Women who experience traumatic births or lose their babies due to neglect have psychological breakdowns. Depression, anxiety, and PTSD are common among such women. Mental health services are, however, mostly non-existent in Calabar.

Financial Burden

Medical negligence can ruin families. Emergency operations, extended hospitalization, and funeral costs can cause poor families to sell assets or become indebted. The death of a mother also affects the family's income and structure.

Loss of Confidence in the Health System

Due to recurring poor experiences, the majority of women in Calabar now opt for the assistance of traditional birth attendants (TBAs). Although the TBAs are closer and more understanding, they lack the competence to handle complications, further adding to maternal deaths.

Underlying Causes of Medical Negligence in Calabar

Inadequacy of Medical Personnel

Public hospitals never have doctors or nurses in numbers enough to attend to dozens of patients. All this results in fatigue, errors, and no attention devoted to one patient.

Lack of Accountability

Few physicians or medical practitioners are punished for an error. Mostly, authorities never care to discover and punish cases of negligence, resulting in more indiscipline.

Inadequate Training

A majority of the Calabar health workers are not getting up-to-date training. Lacking regular refresher training, they may use outdated methods or fail to notice newer complications.

Corruption

At times, in some of the hospitals, patients are subjected to bribes to receive care, even in case of emergencies. Medicines and equipment are occasionally withheld or taken away. Corruption slows down emergency response and discourages individuals from early treatment.

Societal Impact

The effects of defaulting in maternal healthcare extend beyond the hospital gates. Orphanage-born children are likely to be in poverty, neglect, and poor education. Husbands are typically left to care for infants alone, with work and provision impacts. In society, the death or disability of a woman is likely to result in a decline in productivity, especially since women engage in small-scale trade, agriculture, or civil service. The social welfare system is clogged with increased burdens. 

Doctor's Comment (Field Perspective)

Dr Eno Effiom, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital (UCTH):

"Having spent over 15 years in the maternal care sector in Calabar, I can confirm with certainty that negligence and quackery are two of the major health dangers facing women in this region. The most tragic aspect is that most of these deaths are avoidable. I have seen women languishing in labour wards for hours without attention; I have seen junior staff taking long times to report severe complications.".

A lady also presented with eclampsia, and a junior doctor failed in her duty by not detecting her symptoms on time. She succumbed because she did not get her blood pressure tested, nor was she administered magnesium sulphate on time.

Also concerning is the rise in quackery. I recall a 19-year-old female from Odukpani who was attended to by an unregistered traditional birth attendant for over a day. She presented to UCTH in septic shock. Her baby had died. She survived by the whisker. We have at least 10 to 15 such presentations per quarter.

Human beings trust quacks because the system has let them down. They are safer in the company of a listening, caring individual who happens to be unqualified, rather than being yelled at or ignored by an unfriendly system. But it has cost us millions of lives.

We need to retrain our health staff, take disciplinary actions, and orient the population. The government and professions need to shut down those illegal clinics and invest more in maternal care. It's everybody's fault.

Recommendations

Strengthen Legal Accountability

Doctors and nurses must be held liable for avoidable errors. Government agencies need to discipline erring staff and pay compensation to the victims where necessary.

Health System Investment

Public hospitals need better facilities, more personnel, and proper medical supplies in a timely fashion. The government needs to augment healthcare budgets and ensure transparency in expenditures.

Professional Training and Development

Continuous professional development should be mandatory for all health workers. Priority should be given to training in new obstetric procedures, ethics, and emergency management.

Community Engagement and Education

Grassroots movements should educate women on their healthcare rights, early warning signs of complications, and the importance of delivering in registered health facilities.

End Quackery

The government should locate and shut down illegal maternity homes. Collaboration with traditional leaders can discourage the use of unlicensed TBAs.

Summarily, neglect of maternal care is not just a health issue—it's a moral and national development issue. In Calabar, thousands of women have perished, thousands more remain in silence, and families continue to bear the burden of a broken system. Action is now called for. Government, professionals, and citizens alike must come together to reclaim dignity in maternal care.

By investing in human beings, rekindling responsibility, and returning compassion to the very heart of health care, we can ensure that no woman has to die in giving life to another. The hidden tragedy can be over.

References / Citations

1. World Health Organization (WHO), "Trends in Maternal Mortality: 2000 to 2020", WHO/UNICEF/UNFPA/World Bank Group/UN DESA, 2021.

2. Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria Health Sector Review Report, Abuja: 2020.

3. UNFPA Nigeria, "Maternal Health in Nigeria: Situation Report", 2022. https://nigeria.unfpa.org

4. Nigerian Medical Journal, “The Role of Quackery in Nigeria’s High Maternal Mortality Rate”, Vol. 61, No. 3, 2020.

5. World Bank Nigeria & Nigeria Health Watch, “Delivering Health at the Margins: Maternal Health Access in Rural Nigeria”, 2021.

6. Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), 2022 Annual Report on Professional Conduct and Malpractice.