Felix Nyante Registrar, N & MC
The Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana has suspended an enrolled nurse and a midwife for three years on separate counts of unprofessional conducts and breach of professional standards.
This follows complaints of malpractice made against the two health professionals, Sarah Serwah Major, a Registered Midwife and owner of Craddle Care Maternity Hospital Trust at Spintex Road and Madam Susana Adu, an Enrolled Nurse at the Doku Memorial Clinic, both in Accra.
The decision was taken after the professional and disciplinary committee of the Governing Board of the Council issued preliminary inquiry reports where it pointed out the breach of professional standards and malpractice on the part of the two in providing healthcare to their clients.
According to the 14th Governing Board, “during the period of suspension, Mrs. Sarah Serwah Major who is the Midwife and owner of Craddle Care Maternity Hospital Trust and Madam Susana Adu, the Enrolled General Nurse who worked at the Doku Memorial Clinic, all in Accra, shall not hold themselves as Registered Midwife and Registered Enrolled Nurse respectively or render, or purport to render any professional healthcare services to the public”.
The Governing Board in addition has ordered the two health practitioners to return their license to practice cards and certificates of registration to the Registrar of the Nursing and Midwifery Council.
‘Unprofessional Conduct’
Registrar of the Council, Felix Nyante, who disclosed this to the Media, said the complainant (name withheld) went into labour late night on Thursday November 30, 2017 and visited the Craddle Care Maternity Hospital Trust to deliver her baby.
He said the complainant noted that upon examination by the midwife and noting that she was just two centimeters dilation, she was asked to go home and return after labour had set in.
She returned to the hospital in the morning on Monday December 4, 2017 and was delivered of her baby.
He said after the delivery of her baby, the Midwife asked the complainant’s husband to cut the umbilical cord with a blunt tool and used her gloved hand to touch other unsanitary items including her phone during the delivery.
“Mrs. Major in trying to forcibly and manually remove the placenta amid excessive bleeding, succeeded in removing part of the placenta from the uterus.
She did not consult with any doctor although she assured them of consulting one in case of difficult situations and also refused their request to refer her to another hospital, ” he said.
However, he added that upon persistent pressure, the complainant’s husband drove the wife to a nearby Hospital where she received treatment.
Mr. Nyante said based on the findings Mrs. Major breached professional standards of practice for Registered Midwives and also failed to observe the standard guidelines for referral of patients and the national guidelines for recording and reporting births.
The Governing Board as part of its sanctions directed Mrs. Major to undergo Continuous Professional Development training after serving the period of suspension.
In the second case, Mr. Nyante said the complainant (name withheld) on December 5, 2015 in the afternoon realized that his three year-old son had a hot temperature and subsequently took him to Doku Memorial Clinic.
He said that upon arrival at the clinic, the complainant met Susana Adu who observed his son and afterwards gave him two injections on the buttocks and later prescribed some medicines to be bought and administered to him.
“She asked us to go home with the assurance that the boy will get well and also told me not to let the boy walk. After two days, the boy’s condition was worse and so we took him again to the Doku clinic because the boy could not walk, talk nor see properly.
“We met the same woman but this time she called another person to come and examine him. The man upon observation advised we take him to either Alpha or Ridge Hospital.”
“We asked for referral letter but they could not provide us with one. They told us to go to the hospital but should not inform the authorities that the boy had received any medical attention earlier”, he recalled the complainant’s report.
He said when the complainant noted that the boy’s condition was becoming worse they sent him to the Legon Hospital where he was rushed to the emergency ward, examined and was given oxygen and around 10:00pm on the same day but unfortunately he did not survive.
“The Professional and Disciplinary committee of the Governing Board in its inquiry found that Madam Adu had engaged in instances of professional malpractice. The 14th Governing Board, based on the recommendations of the committee took a decision to suspend the Enrolled Nurse for a period of three years, retrieve her Enrolled General Nurse Certificate for the period of suspension and must not be issued with a license to practice during the period of her suspension, ” he said.
Mr. Nyante stated that each practitioner has professional responsibility to work in accordance with the relevant standards and codes.
He therefore advised all practitioners to uphold the nursing and midwifery professions and exhibit professionalism in the discharge of their duties.
He called on the general public and the media to report any case of professional misconduct or breach of professional standards by nurses and midwives to the Nursing and Midwifery Council for the necessary actions to be taken.
By Jamila Akweley Okertchiri