UK doctor failed to diagnose appendicitis — and 18-year-old Kika died
An 18-year-old law undergraduate has died of complications from appendicitis — after her UK doctor failed to diagnose the ailment in three months.
By the time the ailment was diagnosed on her return to Nigeria, she needed an emergency operation — but the hospital did not have life support and she died in the process, according to her parents.
Kikaose Ebiye Onyibe, daughter of Magnus Onyibe — former commissioner of information in Delta state who writes a regular column for TheCable — was a second year law undergraduate at the University of Birmingham.
She died on Wednesday at Gold Cross Hospital, Bourdillon Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, following an unsuccessful surgery to remove a ruptured appendix.
“Kikaose had been complaining of lower abdominal pain since October last year and had been visiting a GP in Birmingham, UK, where her school is located,” the parents said in the obituary announcement.
“The GP failed to diagnose the ailment correctly despite several visits in many months. Instead of conducting a scan to identify her ailment, they gave her minor pain killers whenever she visited the surgery (clinic).”
What is appendicitis? Click here for more information
The UK National Health Service (NHS) — which gives free medical service — is notorious for its budget cuts which force doctors to pay minimal attention to conditions not considered life-threatening.
Kikaose was only diagnosed properly with ruptured appendix when she arrived Nigeria on April 11 and she did a scan.
“Upon discovery of the rupture, an immediate surgery was recommended in Nigeria by doctors who warned that Kika’s life would be in grave danger if she were to be flown back to UK for the procedure,” the parents said.
“Unfortunately, the surgery was not successful as the hospital had no life support system to stabilise her and Kika passed away.”
She had her primary and secondary school education at Greenwoods House School, Parkview estate, Ikoyi, and Lagoon School, Lekki Lagos. She the proceeded to the UK to study law before her death.
The parents described Kika as a “bubbling young lady that was full of lofty dreams and aspirations. Above all, she loves her creator, the almighty God and it was unsurprising that she resolved to attend church regularly, assemble her mates together for fellowship and talk at informal sessions with her friends”.
A post on her Facebook wall on May 27, 2011 reads: “Can anyone tell me why it is so hard to pray, but easy to swear? Why clubs are growing and churches are shrinking? Why it is so hard to repost a Christian status but easy to post a gossip? Why we can worship a celebrity but not Jesus? Jesus said, if you deny me in front of your friends, I will deny you in front of my father. Repost if you’re not afraid of what your friends will think.”
She would have been 19 on April 29.
She is survived by her parents — Helen and Magnus — and two siblings, Sopuluchukwu and Ebubechukwu.
A service of songs will be held on Monday at Eti Osa way Dophin Estate from 4pm while the interment will be at Ebony Vaults, Ikoyi, on Tuesday.
It is very sad that this young lady passed away. However, I think it is inappropriate to assume that the UK doctor misdiagnosed the condition or is to blame. From a medical perspective, the story doesn’t align. Appendicitis is most often an acute condition and would rupture in hours to days rather than months. Thus it is quite improbable the abdominal pain she complained of in October was related to the “ruptured appendix” that was alluded to responsible for her passing. In addition, the sensitivity of ultrasound scans in detecting acute appendicitis is rather low. Indeed, the standard investigation in resource-rich climes is a an abdominal CT scan.
The writer seems to exonerate the Nigerian hospital. In my opinion, it is more damning that the hospital carried out major surgery on her without facilities for critical care or credible pathway for critical care referral if required. The poor judgement in that is more evident than the allusions against the UK doctor. We may never know though . But what we know is that another unnecessary death has happened and as Nigerians we need to do more to improve our health system and save more lives.
May her soul rest. Amen.
Due to NHS cuts a lot of patients suffered and that is the truth. Looks like you tried to support NHS and UK doctors here, but Kika’s life may have been saved with diagnosis and prompt treatment or surgery in the UK. May her soul R.I.P!
A patient fell into coma for a week due to the inability of UK doctor to diagnose the ailment. In hospital, doctors concluded that the patient would end up dead or survive as a ‘vegetable’ but the patient woke up, and not a Veg at all. Lucky?