A Kano family is demanding justice for Aishatu Umar, a mother of five who died early Monday after doctors at Abubakar Imam Urology Center allegedly left surgical scissors inside her abdomen during an operation last September.
Umar’s death ended four months of sharp, worsening pain that began days after the initial procedure. Each time she returned to the hospital, staff reportedly handed her painkillers and sent her home without checking for a surgical error, according to her brother-in-law, Abubakar Mohammed.
“She suffered this pain for four months,” Mohammed wrote online. “Whenever she went back, rather than conducting thorough investigations, they repeatedly administered pain relievers and sent her home, despite her worsening condition.”
A scan performed two days before she died showed the forgotten instrument. The hospital scheduled emergency surgery to remove the scissors, but Umar died from complications before the operation could start.
“Efforts were being made to perform a corrective surgery yesterday, but her time had run out,” Mohammed said.
The family has formally asked the Kano State Government and medical regulators to investigate the center and every member of the surgical team.
“Truly, every soul has its appointed time, but how can professional doctors forget scissors inside a patient?” Mohammed said, arguing the lapse has eroded public trust in state healthcare.
Neither the hospital nor the Kano State Ministry of Health has released a statement so far. Attempts to reach hospital management Tuesday were unsuccessful.
