But for quick intervention of Sir Vic Dike, President General of Oraifite community in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra State, a middle-aged man would have lost his wife and baby to death.
Dike who made the revelation during the flag off of free medical services to over 2000 residents by Sir Emeka Offor foundation (SEOF) said the man (name withheld) had brought the pregnant wife to the clinic section of the Civic centre in the community and fled, abandoning her in the hands of few nurses.
The PG who alleged the man was under the influence of methamphetamine, popularly called mkpurumili said he was alerted on phone around 11pm by security men at the centre of the development.
He said he had to request to speak with the nurse on duty who told him that the woman was bleeding with the placenta already coming out.
He said, “I directed they should quickly move her to one the nearby private hospitals in the area. Meanwhile, the husband was nowhere to be found because the mkpurumili was at work.
“Unfortunately, they were dismissed at the facility by the few nurses on duty on the excuse that it was only a Doctor that was on call that night and there was little or nothing they could do.
“We quickly rushed her to NAUTH. This was around 12midnight. I had to wake up the CMD of the hospital through phone of the emergency case we brought to him, appealing for his intervention so the woman doesn’t deliver inside the vehicle.
“Fortunately for us, he responded and the woman was moved into the theatre where she was delivered of the baby. When they brought the bill, the question was who would foot the bill since the husband was nowhere to be found. But since she’s one of us, we could not afford to abandon her, but had to offset the bill.
“As soon as we were done with the hospital, I requested the security to go in search of the husband and surprisingly, he was seen at the beer parlour drinking.”
He added, “Why I spent time to narrate this ugly story is to highlight the danger of mkpurumili. We know both the sellers and patronisers in this community.
“I want to seize this opportunity to announce that before Christmas, we’ll be meeting with dealers of this substance. I therefore warn parents whose children are involved in this menace to stop or vacate this community or have himself to blame.
“We’ll no longer tolerate mkpurumili. It has destroyed many of our youths. Many of them are now behaving like animals. It’s only an animal that can carry on a motorcycle a woman in labour whose placenta was already out, dumped her and zoomed off.
“As we thank Emeka Offor foundation, we appeal to him to make it an annual exercise, just as we advise the beneficiaries to keep to the doctors’ prescriptions for their own good.”
Earlier, Coordinator of Sir Emeka Offor Foundation, Sir Tony Obi said the outreach, the first time the foundation was collaborating with Oraifite Development Union (ODU) and Rotary Club of Oraifite was occasioned by prevalent cases of sudden deaths.
He said the foundation had engaged more younger nurses for daily health care services, adding that some were sent to India for kidney transplant, glicoma and other health challenges.
While promising continuity of the outreach, Obi announced plans for another free medical outreach at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH).
“We’re also carrying the exercise to the four communities in the local government,” he said.
