Liberia: St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital Accused

-Family alleges negligence resulting to death

Family seeks clarity over death of an 84-year-old father at St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital in Congo Town.

- The Juwule Family, through its head, Mrs. Eugènia Titae Wisseh, from Chicago, United States of America, alleges that death certificate issued by the St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital in Sophie Community, Congo Town, outside Monrovia, proved that wrong medications administered to her father by the hospital led to his death.

"My father deserved to live, and St. Joseph's Hospital must account for his death; they must account for what kind of examination was done that proved he died from Prostate Cancer and Kidney failure. My dad had never suffered any of these health complications", she laments.

Mrs. Wisseh: "I have been a registered nurse for about 17 years in the United States and knew my father's health status; you cannot tell me that my dad died from prostate cancer and kidney failure; he never did.

This must be a forgery death certificate, and we are taking this seriously because we should prevent other lives from being destroyed and damaged by careless nurses and doctors. My father has died and gone, but I'm pursuing this in demand of change to prevent others from experiencing the same loss."

She demands that the St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital must provide laboratory test results to substantiate that her father actually died of the indicated causes.

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A death certificate obtained by the NEW DAWN, signed by Dr. Thaddle, states suspected prostate cancer, kidney failure, and amenia as official causes of death of the late Paul Juwule. Still, his daughter, Mrs. Eugènia Titae Wisseh, disagrees and challenges the result, instead blaming the hospital for his death.

She argues that standard protocol requires that her father should have been placed on immediate oxygen to provide him fluid to his Respiratory System because of his condition, but notes that this was never done.

She narrates that her late father, Mr. Paul Juwule, 84, was admitted on April 16, 2024 at the St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital after he was suspected of suffering from Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (enlarged Prostate and deficient respiration) because he wasn't breathing too well at the time of his admission at the hospital, and needed urgent attention, immediate Oxygen but that was never done until after 24 hours, because nurses allegedly didn't attend to him, so hanging the first fluid, by then his temperature has already decreased to 15% which indicated a very high risk of survival.

"It is so sad he had to die this way, untimely due to these arrogant and careless nurses. They didn't do their compassion and call to service; their negligence killed my dad because he had artery muscle to breathe and needed Oxygen, but it wasn't until after 3 pm the next day that they could hang the first fluid. Because he was losing so much blood and at the time they decided to pay attention to him, his Oxygen had already decreased, and there was absolutely nothing they could do to save him, Madam Wisseh further laments.

She adds that her father was only given two liters of blood at the eleventh minute, 24 hours after he was left alone in the Semi-Private Ward without any attention from nurses.

She expresses dissatisfaction with the hospital administration for services paid for at the time of his father's admission, which was never rendered until his demise, and then issuing a death certificate, indicating health complications that he had never suffered before.

Madam Wisseh reveals that she paid for three days' services for her father to be kept in the Private Ward and given urgent attention and medication but to her disbelief, he wasn't given immediate attention despite fees paid.

When the St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital Administration was contacted, the hospital director, Bro. Peter L. Dawoh, confirmed the death but said the hospital wouldn't discuss the situation via interview.

Instead, he asked the press to reserve publication for 24 hours, as Administration of the hospital was exploring possibility to investigate doctors and nurses, who attended to the late Mr. Juwle prior to his death.

A day later, Bro Dawoh indicated that the St. Joseph's Catholic Hospital would comment on the matter only through its legal team. Editing by Jonathan Browne

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